HeartBeat
by DemonBrightSpirit
Summary: It isn't often that things go Derpy's way. Between her eyes and her clumsiness, it's hard enough just to make friends. Add in a revolving door of jobs and a daughter to raise, and it's a miracle that she has any time to herself at all. So when she gets stood up, it hurts. Maybe she should just give up. Or, maybe she just needs the kindness of an odd barkeep in purple shades.
1. Silver Lining

Noisy. If I could describe this club in one word, it would have to be "noisy." The thumping bass rattled the empty glass in front of me. Though, I couldn't hear it rattle. I couldn't hear anything over the music. But I could see the ice cubes jiggle along with the beat.

I didn't like the lights, either. Sometimes, it's hard for me to see in the middle of the day, but in here the lights were all multi-colored and flashing. Worse, it was either completely blinding or too dim to see. It made my eyes hurt.

Leaning on the counter, I adjusted my seat. Or I tried to. The stool fell out from underneath me. I tried to catch myself. Instead, I hit my jaw on the counter and fell to the cold floor.

My mouth hurt, but at least my accident didn't do any real damage. I rubbed my throbbing jaw as I looked over to the overturned barstool. Somehow it had fallen over, but I couldn't figure it out. I picked myself up and fixed the seat before sitting down again.

I looked over the bar to a clock hanging on the wall. My heart sank as I saw the minute hand reach the top of the clock. I'd been here over an hour, and he was supposed to be here half an hour ago.

I hung my head. It wasn't all that surprising that he didn't show up. I mean, it's not like we really hit it off or anything.

Sighing, I looked down at my empty glass. Just then, a white hoof appeared, pulling the glass away. Looking up, I found a bartender different from the one that gave me my drink earlier. This one was a white mare with a wild blue mane accented with lighter blue streaks. A pair of purple shades hid her eyes from view.

Looking over at me, she stowed my glass behind the bar. Her horn glowed, and she just kept staring at me. She waved a hoof before pointing down. Following the gesture, I found blue letters shimmering on the bar.

 _HEY CUTIE_

 _WHAT ARE YOU_

 _DRINKING?_

I felt a gentle heat spread through me as I looked back up at her. Leaning out over the bar, I tried to talk to her. "No thanks! I'm actually—" No use. Even I couldn't hear my shouts over the blaring music. I leaned back and thought for a moment. The best I could come up with was to hold a hoof up and give my head a shake.

Thankfully, the barkeep seemed to understand. She nodded at me and turned her attention back to serving the other ponies. Almost as soon as she left, I felt a pang of loneliness again.

Giving a meek sigh, I looked up at the clock again. I watched a few minutes tick away before I couldn't stand to watch it anymore. Instead I watched the door, as if by some miracle he would actually come strolling in.

He didn't.

Just as I considered leaving, a bit of motion caught my attention. I saw the bartender giving me a smile as she held out a glass in front of me. Again, shimmering letters appeared on the bar.

 _MY SPECIALTY_

 _ON THE HOUSE_

I eyed the weird drink. Like the barkeep's mane, it had two-toned blues. Somehow the two hues stayed separated in a brilliant show of stripes held by the glass. I picked it up by the rim and gave it a good swirl. The colors spun and churned in a dizzying display, but they didn't mix.

 _I CALL IT A_

 _BLUE TORNADO_

Looking back up, I found the bartender grinning at me. She nodded at the drink. Reluctantly, I lifted the glass to my lips and took a sip. A burst of sweet, fruity flavors hit my tongue with just a bite of sour and alcohol. I coughed at the unexpected rush of flavor. As I wiped my mouth, I noticed the barkeep laughing.

 _PRETTY GOOD, HUH?_

 _BE CAREFUL_

 _THAT WILL KNOCK YOU_

 _ON YOUR FLANK_

I smiled at her and nodded, mouthing a "thank you" to her. She smiled back at me and her horn lit up again. I looked down to find more magical letters.

 _HEY, WHOEVER IS STUPID_

 _ENOUGH TO KEEP A_

 _PRETTY MARE LIKE YOU_

 _WAITING IS A FOOL_

Feeling my cheeks heat up, I looked up again to see the barkeep pull her shades low enough for me to see her cerise eyes peek over the lenses. She winked at me before pushing her shades back up. Desperate to hide my reddening cheeks, I grabbed the glass and started drinking.

I managed to get about half of it down before I had to stop. Coughing and sputtering, I all but dropped the glass back onto the bar. I covered my mouth with a hoof as I finally felt like I was starting to breathe again. Daring to look up, I found the bartender nearly falling over with laughter. I couldn't stop myself from smiling, and the next thing I knew, I was laughing, too.

The whole scene struck me as surreal. Both of us were laughing, but not a single sound could be heard over the noise of that overbearing music. Once we had composed ourselves, the barkeep's horn glowed again.

 _IF YOU DONT MIND_

 _WAITING A WHILE_

 _I GET OFF SOON_

 _WANT TO HANG?_

I toyed with the glass in my forehooves a moment. Smiling, I looked up and gave her a firm nod. She smiled in turn, and her horn lit up.

 _COOL! MY NAME IS_

 _VINYL SCRATCH_

 _BY THE WAY_

 _YOU CAN CALL ME_

 _VINYL_

Opening my mouth to reply, I realized she wouldn't be able to hear me. I searched for some other way to give her my name. That's when I noticed a mascara tube in front of the mare next to me. I grabbed it and a napkin. I scribbled my name on the napkin, and as soon as I capped the mascara, the other mare angrily snatched it back from me. I gave her a smile that I hoped said "sorry" before looking back down at the napkin. Though sloppily written, the lone word read: _DERPY_.

Vinyl took the napkin in hoof and looked at it a moment. Grinning, she nodded at me. She leaned over and pointed at the clock behind her. Her horn glowed, tracing words on the bar again.

 _I GET OFF AT_

 _THE END OF_

 _THE HOUR_

I had to do a double-take. That wasn't even ten minutes away. Somehow, I'd spent almost a whole hour talking… or, uh, writing with Vinyl. It hardly even seemed like a few minutes had gone by.

I smiled at Vinyl and gave her a nod. She drew her shades down again, winking at me before giving me a wave and heading down the bar. I gave a contented sigh as I looked down at my drink. I figured it would take me ten minutes or so to finish it. Giving the blue streaks a good swirl, I brought the glass to my or so to finish it. Giving the blue streaks a good swirl, I brought the glass to my lips./p


	2. The Rescued Date

I found myself sitting on a bench outside of that noisy club. Looking up at the sky, I couldn't see a single star. Clouds didn't block the view or anything. The club's neon lights were too bright. Even sitting outside of the club I could still hear the bass thumping away, too. At least it wasn't deafening anymore. I rubbed my still-ringing ears hoping that I didn't have permanent hearing loss from my short time in there.

For a moment, the music amplified. I looked over to see Vinyl stepping out of the club wearing a brown jacket covered in patches and doodles. She smiled at me, waving. When the door behind her closed, the music died down again.

"Hey, Vinyl," I said, smiling back at her. "Thanks for the drink. It was really good." I tried to get up, but stumbled and fell flat on my face. "Uhh." I stood up on shaky legs, rubbing my nose. "It was kinda strong."

Vinyl smiled wider, breathing a strong breath through her nose. Her horn glowed, and shimmering letters traced across the ground in front of her.

 _I WARNED YOU_

 _IT WAS STRONG_

"Yeah, I guess you did," I replied. Then it hit me. Why was she still writing? My ears might've still been ringing, but I could hear fine now. I glanced down at the now-bare ground then back at Vinyl. "Um, I can hear okay now. We can just talk."

Vinyl's ears drooped and she drew a forehoof across the ground. Her horn lit up again.

 _I CANT SPEAK_

My heart skipped a beat as I read the words. I looked back up to see Vinyl rubbing her throat, then she shook her head. She moved her mouth as if she was talking, but nothing except her breath came out.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I didn't know," I gushed. I ran over and threw my forelegs around her neck. After giving her a lingering squeeze, I stepped back.

Vinyl's jaw hung open a moment. Regaining her composure, she snapped her mouth shut. She raised an eyebrow, and her horn glowed.

 _WHATS WITH THE HUG?_

I felt a wave of heat in my cheeks. "Well, I know when ponies bring up my eyes, I usually feel like I could use a hug. Even if they didn't mean anything bad by it, I still feel kind of down." I pawed at the ground, only daring to give her a fleeting glance.

Vinyl rubbed her neck.

 _I THOUGHT YOUR_

 _EYES WERE CUTE_

This time my whole body felt like it might burst into flames. I ran a hoof through my mane, breathing heavier than normal. "R-r-really? You really think so? Everypony usually thinks they're weird," I said, keeping my gaze on the ground.

 _TOTALLY! WHEN YOU_

 _READ THEY FOCUS_

 _AND THEN YOU LOOK UP_

 _AND BLINK AND THEY_

 _GO ALL CRAZY AGAIN_

 _ITS REALLY CUTE_

Without thinking about it, I rushed over again. I nearly knocked Vinyl over as I wrapped her up in another hug. "I'm so glad I met you! I was having such a bad night and just meeting you has made it all better."

This time she hugged me back. I felt a tingle down my spine as her hoof rubbed my back. A heat rushed through me, and by the time she ended the hug, my ears were burning.

Vinyl pulled back. The moment she saw me, her smile grew into a smug grin. She pointed to the bare wall of the club as her horn glowed.

 _THE NIGHTS_

 _STILL YOUNG_

 _SHALL WE?_

"I, uh, I can't stay out too long." I pulled a hoof through my mane, chancing a glance over at Vinyl. "I have a foalsitter watching my daughter, so I have to be home soon."

Vinyl raised an eyebrow. She shook her head, then pointed to the wall again.

 _IM SURE YOU_ _HAVE ENOUGH_

 _TIME TO GRAB_ _SOMETHING TO EAT_

 _YOU STILL NEED_ _TO SOBER UP_

 _RIGHT?_

I failed to suppress a giggle as I shook my head. "I'm fine," I said, holding up a hoof. The motion seemed to cause a knot in my stomach, and sure enough, a queer churning sound came from my stomach. My eyes widened as I blushed. "Uh, I guess I could go for something to eat."

Vinyl pulled her head to the side and trotted off. I scrambled to catch up, realizing that she was leading me after a few awkward seconds. As I fell in step with her, she smiled at me and nodded.

As we walked away from the club, the ever-present thump of the bass faded away, and an uncomfortable silence set in. "Um, so what did you have in mind? To eat, I mean," I asked her. She looked out across the way. I tilted my head, trying to match her long stare. There, a sign jutted above the rooftops. I blinked. "The Hayburger?"

I kept staring a moment before realizing that I had to look back at Vinyl for her to respond. She didn't seem angry about my stupidity as I turned back. She just smiled and nodded.

We started walking again. With the streets empty, the only sounds were that of our hoofsteps on cobblestone. Vinyl must be used to this silence, but I found it unnerving. I wanted to talk about something, anything, to fill the void. Would that offend Vinyl? Even if I talked to her, she wouldn't be able to respond with anything more than a nod or a shake of her head. That would be rude, right?

I glanced over at her, catching her gaze. I looked away, snapping my attention back to the ground. For some reason, I felt like I just got caught doing something naughty.

The next thing I knew, Vinyl stopped walking. She reached into her beat-up old jacket and pulled out two small objects trailing wires back into the jacket. Vinyl stuck one in her ear and held the other out to me.

I reached out, plucking it from her hoof. I turned my hoof over, examining the tiny thing. "What is this?" I asked, looking up at Vinyl. She pointed a hoof at her ear. Imitating Vinyl's earlier motions, I stuck the tiny thing in my ear. I yelped and yanked it out as a deafening noise assaulted my ear.

Still wincing and rubbing my ear, I looked over to see Vinyl laughing—or at least it looked like she was laughing. Her shoulders were shaking and she smiling, though no sound came. Still grinning, she held up a hoof. Vinyl reached into her jacked and fiddled with something before pulling up the tiny thing by its cord. She held it out to me again.

Taking it in hoof, I cautiously held it up to my ear. Following Vinyl's encouragement, I slowly inserted it into my ear. I breathed a sigh of relief as I realized that it was no longer a blaring sound bomb. Instead, it echoed a musical tune at a less-than deafening volume.

I peeked over at Vinyl, and she nodded back at me. We started off in lockstep, shoulder-to-shoulder, tethered by the wires between us. This time, the steady rhythm all but drowned out the sounds of our steps. Before I knew it, I was bopping along to the beat, enjoying the cool night air alongside Vinyl.

All too soon, we stood outside the Hayburger. Vinyl tugged the wire, popping the little speaker out of my ear. As she stowed her little device, I stepped up to get the door. Or, at least I tried. One of my hooves snagged on the curb. I tripped and almost smashed my face on the ground. Managing to catch myself, the next thing I knew, I slammed into the door.

I shook my head, trying to get my bearings. I noticed Vinyl walking behind me and realized that, somehow, I had managed to hold the door open for her. Still reeling, I stumbled after Vinyl.

We approached the counter, and I smelled a strange composition of food and grease that was both a little gross and very appetizing. My stomach repeated its protests, but before I could have my chance to order, Vinyl tapped a hoof on the counter.

A stallion in a cap with the store's logo on it stepped up to Vinyl. He smiled, speaking up in a gravelly voice. "Hi. Welcome to the Hayburger. What can I do for you?"

Vinyl tapped her hoof on the counter twice, then pointed a hoof as her horn glowed. On the menu behind the counter, a blue aura highlighted an item.

"You want a number one?" the cashier asked as he turned back to Vinyl.

Vinyl nodded.

"Uh, what do you want to drink with that?"

Again, Vinyl tapped the counter twice and pointed, indicating her selection with her aura. After the cashier rang it up, Vinyl stepped to the side and motioned for me to take my turn.

I hopped up, putting my forehooves on the counter. "Oh, um," I said pointing a hoof. "Can I get a number four? Extra hay fries."

"What would you like to drink with that?" the cashier asked.

"Water's fine," I said, hopping down.

As the cashier rang up the order, I reached for my bits. A clinking drew my attention back to the counter where I saw several bits. I tried to protest, but it was too late. The cashier took Vinyl's bits and dumped them into the register.

The cashier looked up at me, smiling. "Your order should be ready in just a couple of minutes. I'll call you when it's ready."

"Th-thanks," I muttered. I spun around, finding Vinyl already sitting at a nearby booth and waving at me. I hurried over and sat across from her. I wanted to protest her paying for me, but a familiar blue glow crawling across the table distracted me.

 _FINALLY! ITS SO_

 _ANNOYING WHEN_

 _I CANT TALK_

I forced myself not to laugh. "I guess that would get annoying, huh?"

Vinyl nodded.

 _IT TAKES A LOT_

 _OF CONCENTRATION_

 _TO DO THIS SPELL_

 _SO I CANT DO IT IF_

 _IM WALKING AND STUFF_

"That must be really hard for you," I said, looking up at Vinyl. "The worst I have to worry about is… well I'm not exactly coordinated." I gave a nervous laugh. "I'm kind of a ditz." Sticking out my tongue, I rapped a hoof against my head.

Vinyl grinned, her horn glowing anew.

 _YOU SEEM PRETTY_

 _AWESOME TO ME_

I felt my face—my whole body—get hot. "W-well, I haven't had a chance to break anything, yet."

 _YOU WANT TO BREAK_

 _SOMETHING?_

I tilted my head as I read the new words. I looked back up, waving my forehooves. "No, no, no. I mean, I break stuff on accident. I don't mean to do it." I sighed, my posture drooping. "It just sort of happens… a lot."

 _NO I MEAN DO YOU_

 _WANT TO BLOW OFF_

 _SOME STEAM?_

 _I WOULD BE MAD IF_

 _I GOT STOOD UP_

Wow, I had completely forgotten about that. Not knowing what to say, I fidgeted, tracing circles on the tabletop with a hoof. The blue letters swirled and distorted under my touch, but I couldn't feel them. "Oh, that," I said. I shook my head. "I'm not mad. I'm not even all that surprised. We didn't exactly hit it off last time."

I looked up, and as I did, Vinyl raised an eyebrow. Did she want to hear more about it? I cleared my throat, speaking up, "Well, we only went on the one other date. He seemed nice and all, but he would never really look me in the eye."

A blue glow wrapped around Vinyl's shades, and they rose up to rest on her horn. She squinted at me, blinking a few times. I giggled at her. "It's kind of silly to wear sunglasses inside."

Vinyl rolled her eyes, though she kept right on smiling. Leaning forward, she rested a foreleg on the table and using her hoof to prop up her head. For the first time, I got a good look at her eyes. I never saw such eyes, and it wasn't just their strange, reddish hue. I saw something else in them. I inched closer, and that's when it hit me. I could see my own eyes reflected in hers.

My heart pounded in my chest as I recoiled. Trying to calm myself down, I found myself out of breath. I pressed a hoof against my chest, taking a couple of deep breaths before looking back at Vinyl. She cocked her head to the side, but didn't seem to be too alarmed.

"S-sorry, I just uh…" I stammered. I thought it might be too awkward to admit that I've never had anypony look in my eyes like that, so I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "S-so you're a bartender, huh?"

Vinyl shook her head and her horn glowed.

 _IM A DJ AT THE CLUB_

 _OUR BARTENDER QUIT_

 _SO NOW WE HAVE TO_

 _TAKE TURNS AT THE BAR_

"Oh, so you like, make those songs that they play in the club? That sounds neat," I said, finding myself taking only occasional peeks at her eyes. "Your cutie mark makes a lot more sense now."

Vinyl looked down at her own flank, then she sat up and leaned over the counter to get a look at mine.

 _YEAH, I MAKE MIXES_

 _AND STUFF_

 _HOW ABOUT YOU?_

My ears drooped along with my shoulders. "I'm sort of in-between jobs. I got fired—" I sighed "—again." Glancing down, I took in the sight of my own cutie mark. "I still don't know what it's for."

Vinyl tilted her head, furrowing her brow.

 _CAN YOU TEND BAR?_

I blinked, looking up at Vinyl. "I never tried." I shook my head. "So, no. I'd probably mess that up, too," I said, muttering the last part.

 _HEY ARE YOU OKAY?_

I nodded. "Yeah, sorry." Forcing a smile, I looked back up at her.

 _IF YOU NEED A JOB_

 _I KNOW THE OWNER_

 _IS LOOKING FOR A_

 _NEW BARTENDER_

 _I CAN PUT IN_

 _A WORD FOR YOU_

I blinked. "Really? I-I don't want to impose or anything." Again I fidgeted, twirling my hoof in circles on the cool, smooth tabletop. "I probably wouldn't be any good at it, anyways."

 _IM SURE_

 _YOU WOULD DO FINE_

Vinyl blinked. She finally looked away. Leaning out of the booth, her horn lit up. I looked down, but no new letters appeared. Confused, I looked up to see a tray float over to the table. My mouth watered at the sight and smell of the food.

As soon as Vinyl set the tray down, I gathered up the hay burgers and fries that made up my part of the meal. "Ah, great! I was starving." I brought the container of fries to my muzzle, getting a mouthful of salty deliciousness.

Only after chewing for a moment did I realize that I must've looked like a pig with my cheeks full and several fries still sticking out of my face, and in front of Vinyl no less. As humiliating as it was, it couldn't spit them out—that would be even worse. I had no choice but to finish my overzealous bite.

At least Vinyl didn't seem to notice. She just levitated her salad and drink in front of her.

I know my face must've been red by the time I managed to swallow. As much as I wanted to apologize right away, I had to grab my drink and wash it down. "S-sorry," I said, breathing a bit harder than normal. Running a hoof down my mane, I giggled. "I must've been hungrier than I thought."

Blinking, Vinyl looked up from her meal. She raised an eyebrow as her horn lit up. I looked down, but the only things there were my food and the tray. A rapping sound drew my attention back to Vinyl. She raised her hoof from the table and pointed to the wall next to us. There, familiar magic formed shimmering letters.

 _WHAT DID I_

 _MISS SOMETHING?_

Vinyl never even noticed, yet somehow, it made me feel even more embarrassed. "N-nothing," I muttered, stuffing another fry into my mouth. After grabbing a hayburger and unwrapping it, I looked up to see Vinyl still preparing her salad... or at least I think she was. I watched, aghast, as she proceeded to top her salad with mayonnaise and added mustard and salt to it.

I couldn't help myself. "Are you really going to eat it like that?" I asked, pointing at her salad.

Grinning, Vinyl looked up at me. She nudged her head to the side, and I noticed a new string of words dancing there.

 _THIS IS THE ONLY WAY_

 _TO EAT A SALAD_

 _IT JUST SUCKS_

 _THAT THEY DONT_

 _HAVE HOT SAUCE HERE_

The words faded away, ushering in a new phrase.

 _HERE_

 _TRY IT_

I turned to find a fork skewered with the condiment-covered salad hovering in front of my face. I recoiled, pushing back into the cushions of the booth. Sealing my lips together like a foal, I shook my head. "Mm-umm!"

I swear I saw her shoulders shuddering with laughter as the fork crossed the table. In an exaggeration motion, she devoured the bite, even going so far as to lick her lips. Still smiling, she pointed over at the wall.

 _YOU DONT KNOW WHAT_

 _YOURE MISSING OUT ON_

"I like vinaigrette, if I use any dressing at all," I said. I brought my burger to my muzzle, but hesitated. "You know, salads are good just by themselves." I punctuated my sentence with a ravenous bite of my burger.

It tasted good but… it was dry. My eyes trailed over to the condiments that Vinyl just used. Feeling guilty, I reached over and picked up the mustard and mayonnaise. Even though I didn't dare look up at Vinyl, I could feel her eyes boring into me. "W-well they're good on burgers," I said as I flipped up the bun and added the sauces.

Chancing a glance, I found Vinyl smiling and shaking her head. She lifted a hoof, pointing at the wall.

 _I DIDNT SAY ANYTHING_

Now she was teasing me. I turned back to her, puffing out my cheeks and putting on my best angry face. It wasn't as effective against Vinyl as it was against Dinky. Still smiling, Vinyl stuck out her tongue at me and winked.

It was so unbearably adorable, I couldn't keep up my angry face. I grabbed my drink and started slurping it down, hoping that it might hide the heat in my cheeks. At least I maintained my glare at her. Vinyl laughed it off, turning her attention back to her salad.

I slammed down the now half-empty cup. Despite her childish behavior, she one-upped me. And I have a child. "Don't you dare teach that to Dinky." I grabbed my burger, taking a ravenous bite for emphasis.

Rising and eyebrow, Vinyl motioned again to the side.

 _DINKY? IS THAT_

 _YOUR KID?_

I nodded as I took the last bite of my burger and grabbed another. A smile formed on my lips. "She's the best little filly. I think she might be getting her cutie mark soon because she's starting to learn how to use her horn." As I unwrapped my burger, I sighed. "I wish I could help her more."

 _YOUR KIDS A UNICORN?_

I nodded, and Vinyl grinned.

 _LET ME GUESS_

 _THE JERK THAT STOOD YOU UP_

 _WAS A UNICORN TOO_

"Yeah…" I said, raising an eyebrow. Vinyl's smirk widened.

 _DERPY_

 _DO YOU HAVE_

 _A HORN FETISH?_

I launched out of my seat, throwing my forehooves over the words. "I don't have a horn fetish!"

The clanging of silverware ushered in a dead silence as every eye in the restaurant fell on me. Oh no. A searing heat radiated from my chest, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I looked over to see Vinyl on her back, kicking her hind legs as she laughed.

I'd made a fool of myself many a time, but I don't think I ever felt so embarrassed in all my life. The accusing stares bore into me, and I knew my face had to be a dozen shades of red. Tears pricked my eyes. Unable to stand it another moment, I scrambled to escape the booth.

Placing a hoof on the end of the table, I scrambled to get away, but the table gave as soon as I put my weight on it. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor. Trash and food and condiments soiled my mane and coat. The crushing silence gave way to a din of snickers and subdued laughter.

I rubbed my aching head as I sat up. Looking around, I found every eye on me. Several ponies were even pointing. I scrambled to my hooves, but the slippery floor sent me crashing back down. The laughter intensified, resonating deep inside my mind. A thousand memories going all the way back to my fillyhood came rushing back to me, each one a miserable reminder of my many humiliating mishaps.

Flapping my wings, I took flight, finally making it to the doors. Once outside, I stumbled far enough away from the entrance that the judging stares and haunting laughter could no longer reach me. Sitting back on my haunches, I swiped at my tears. I didn't even realize I'd been crying.

Stifling my tears, I stood up. I turned to leave, and came face-to-face with Vinyl. For the first time, she avoided my gaze. She pawed at the ground, her horn glowing.

The wall next to us glowed in response. I seriously considered ignoring it and walking past her, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

 _DERPY_

 _IM REALLY SORRY_

I swallowed, but the action did little to reduce the constricting feeling in my throat. Fixing my gaze on Vinyl, I stomped a hoof before pointing at her. "You were laughing at me along with everypony else!"

Vinyl's ears folded against her head. I watched her sigh before she looked up. She closed the distance between us and hugged me.

My train of thought came to a screeching halt. The next thing I knew, Vinyl gave me a squeeze and stepped back. By the time I thought to say anything else, she'd already gotten back to the door. She opened the door, and her horn lit up. Trotting back over, Vinyl floated behind her a gigantic pile of napkins in her aura.

Several napkins floated over and began rubbing my hide and mane. Vinyl sat in front of me, using her hooves to wipe the bits of condiments from her jacket and mane. With a sigh, I grabbed a few napkins from the pile and swiped at some of the more annoying and… slimy splotches on me.

As I got cleaned up, I couldn't help but to think that this wasn't all her fault. Again, my pain has been a product of my own clumsiness and foolishness. Vinyl didn't announce anything to the ponies sitting around. I did. She didn't cover me with garbage and condiments. I did. She didn't make me a fool in front of everypony. I did.

I sighed, looking over to see Vinyl swiping at a mustard spot on her jacket. "I-I'm sorry, Vinyl." She looked up at me, raising an eyebrow. "I… I know that all this wasn't your idea. I just, I messed up." Hanging my head, a whimper escaped my lips. "Like always."

Feeling a hoof on my shoulder, I looked up to find Vinyl's smiling face. She wrapped her hooves around me, and this time, I returned the hug. "S-sorry I messed everything up," I whispered. In response, I felt Vinyl's hoof rubbing my back.

Pulling back, Vinyl's horn glowed. Again, fanciful letters danced across the wall.

 _LET ME MAKE IT_

 _UP TO YOU_

 _HOW ABOUT ANOTHER DATE?_

I felt a heat in my face as I looked back at Vinyl, her eyes pleading me to say yes. I smiled. "I-um… sure." I gave a firm nod.

Vinyl grinned. Leaning over, she planted a kiss on my cheek.

My cheeks burned anew. By the time my brain started working again, she was already headed for home. I barely had the wherewithal to wave back when she waved at me and winked.

I sat there on the cold concrete until I couldn't see her anymore. Only then did I think to head for home. I stood up and spread my wings. Taking flight, I soared all the way home on cloud nine.


	3. Complications

I was still smiling by the time I landed on my stoop. When I left earlier this evening, I had never even imagined things could go so well, even with a lot of stuff going wrong. If I see that guy again, I'm going to have to thank him for standing me up. It was all just so… exhilarating.

Opening the door, I had to remind myself to be quiet. It was well-passed Dinky's bedtime, after all. I stepped inside, quietly shutting the door behind me.

A familiar sight met me as I walked in; Amethyst Star lounging on my couch, a book suspended in her aura. "I'm home," I said in little more than a whisper.

Amethyst turned her head to me, then the book dropped from her aura. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay?"

I tilted my head to the side as she rushed over. "I'm fine."

"You look like somepony threw you in the garbage!" she hissed. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

Absentmindedly, I followed Amethyst into my kitchen. There, she grabbed a washcloth, poured water on it, and proceeded to wipe at my face. "I-I'm fine… really," I managed to say with only getting the washcloth stuck in my mouth once. "It was just an accident."

Throwing the rag in the sink, Amethyst sighed. "It's always 'just an accident' with you." She poked a hoof in my chest. "If that jerk did something…"

I shook my head. "He never even showed up." I smiled. "Instead, I met this bartender, and we went out—oh, it was great! I don't think I've felt like this since… well, since Dinky's father."

Amethyst scoffed. "Yeah, and we both know how well _that_ turned out. He's probably just trying to take advantage of you, too."

Frowning, I glared at Amethyst. "Hey, Midnight might not be the greatest pony ever like I thought, but he wasn't all bad." My eyes found the floor as I gave my head a weak shake. "Besides, she's different…"

Raising an eyebrow, Amethyst gave me a funny look. "She? As in a mare?"

I nodded. "She's so interesting. And she's not afraid to look me in the eye. And she's nice and thoughtful and—"

"A mare. _You_ went on a date… with a mare?"

"Well, yes." I felt a little hot, knowing full well I must've been blushing. "I know I've never really, uh, tried dating a mare, but it was great!" I pawed at the floor. "I-I like her."

Amethyst facehoofed. "You've only just met her!" she hissed. "Don't you think you're making a mistake here?"

I shook my head, frowning. "You always think I'm making a mistake. But I'm not. You know Dinky's father isn't coming back and I… I don't want to be alone anymore."

Placing a hoof on her forehead, Amethyst let out a long sigh. "And you deserve that, Derpy. You really do. But so far your attempts at romance have all ended in absolute disaster. What makes you think this time will be any different?"

Make it any different? Well, for one, I haven't hit it off so well in just one evening with anypony. Even Dinky's father took longer for us to get along so well. But, I guess that did end horribly. Just like every other attempt at a relationship I've ever made… ever. Hay, I can't even remember the last time I made it so far in a date to actually kiss somepony.

My hoof made its way to my cheek where Vinyl had planted a kiss. Sighing, I lowered my hoof. "Maybe… maybe it won't be different, but I still have to try."

"All right." Amethyst relented as she walked by me. "For whatever it's worth, I do hope things work out for you."

Amethyst headed towards the door, gathering up her saddlebag and her book. I followed after her. "Amethyst, I—thanks." I put a hoof on her shoulder. "And not just for watching Dinky, either."

She gave me a warm smile. "Any time, Derpy."

I saw her out the door and we said our goodbyes. I know she meant well, but sometimes it feels like she doesn't have any faith in me. Dinky is the one that needs a babysitter, not me.

Closing the door, I turned with the intention of getting a shower. After all, my hide and mane were still kind of a mess. But I stopped as my path was blocked by a little filly.

I smiled at her. "Now, isn't it a little late for you to be out of bed, little missy?" I said in a mock-accusing tone, punctuating the statement by booping her nose. "I know Amethyst put you to bed hours ago."

Dinky rubbed her sleepy eyes as she nodded. "I woke up when I heard you fighting."

"Oh, we weren't fighting." I shook my head. "We were just… uh, talking?"

"Mom?" Dinky said, keeping her eyes averted. "Daddy's gonna come visit me soon, isn't he?" Only after asking the question did she look up at me with those big, pleading eyes.

My heart skipped a beat. Oh no. How much did she hear? What exactly did Amethyst and I say? I couldn't remember. Struggling to put on a convincing smile, I nudged Dinky to turn her around. "Wh-why don't we get you back to bed? We can talk about it in the morning."

Dinky followed my direction with little more than a whine of protest. For a moment, I thought that I had maybe averted catastrophe, but I rarely get so lucky. Just as soon as I pulled the blankets up to her chest, she looked up at me. "I haven't seen daddy since my birthday. Why won't he come visit us?"

I felt a twisting feeling in my stomach as I nibbled on my lip. "I, uh…" Clearing my throat, I diverted the conversation. "Why don't we write your daddy a letter? We can see if you can go spend another weekend with him in Canterlot." Smiling, I put my hoof on her little head and ran it through her hair. "Would you like that?"

Snuggling into her blankets, Dinky nodded. "Can you come too this time?"

My smile melted away. "I… don't think I'll able to make it, sweetheart. But that doesn't mean that you can't go and have a nice time with daddy."

Dinky opened her mouth wide, squeaking out an adorable yawn. "I really wish we could all live together again," she said, rubbing her eye.

Licking my lips, I struggled to find the right words. I couldn't break her heart and tell her that Midnight was trying to start a new family in Canterlot. And it's not like her father didn't want to see her, either. He'd be just as excited to get to spend a weekend with her.

I sighed. "We'll write a letter tomorrow after school, okay?"

She gave me a halfhearted nod, though not for a lack of enthusiasm. Her eyes were already closed and she struggled to stay even a little awake. I leaned over, planting a kiss on her forehead. "Sweet dreams, sweetheart."

Quietly stepping out, I closed the door behind me. Another sigh and I started off for the bathroom. If I weren't such a mess, I'd just go collapse on my bed and join Dinky in dreamland.

I absentmindedly turned on the shower, barely recognizing that I had made it to the bathroom. My thoughts just kept distracting me. Dinky may have still been a filly, but she was getting old enough and more than clever enough to realize what's going on. Midnight's going to marry that possessive mare in Canterlot. Worse, he wants Dinky to be a part of the wedding. He hasn't even told her he's getting married yet.

Stepping into the rain of warm water did little to soothe me. Having her spend a weekend in Canterlot might not be such a good idea after all. It would be the best opportunity for her father to tell her about his plans.

Should I tell her myself?

No. I have to let him tell her. It's not my place to. I just have to hope that she takes it well. Maybe, just maybe, when it really sinks in for her, she can start to move on. That would be for the best. After all, they say that pain has to come before the healing.

I just wish that pain didn't have to happen to her.

Groaning, I leaned my head against the shower wall. Either way, her little heart is going to break when she finds out. I've tried explaining to her why I sometimes go out on dates, but she just has it stuck in her head that, somehow, I'll get back together with her father. She just doesn't understand that it's… impossible.

He got over me a long time ago.


	4. Doubt

After walking Dinky to school, I flew circles over Ponyville. I searched for an old friend, but since there weren't any clouds over Ponyville today, she must've been somewhere else. The next place I checked was Sweet Apple Acres, and sure enough, I found her napping in a tree. I never understood why she preferred those hard branches to the nice, relatively soft ground.

Landing gracefully—or at least not tripping over myself—I craned my neck up and called to her, "Excuse me, Rainbow Dash?" She snorted and shifted position, but she didn't stir. So I tried again, this time louder. "Rainbow Dash!"

"Wha—!" Rainbow Dash jerked awake and fell right out of the tree. Luckily, I was underneath her to break her fall. Rolling off of me, she got to her hooves. "What the hay, Derpy?" Despite her angry tone, she still helped me up.

I rubbed my head. "I needed to ask you a favor."

Rainbow Dash facehoofed. "What did you break _this_ time?"

"I didn't break anything." I paused. "Well, I mean, anything more than normal. Cheerilee said she'd take care of it herself." Realizing I was getting off topic, I shook my head and focused. "Anyway, I was hoping maybe you might be able to take Dinky to see her dad in Canterlot this weekend or next?"

"What? Seriously?"

I put on a big smile. "Please? For you it's like a two minute flight, but I would have to take the train... twice. And last time I ended up in Yakyakistan."

Rainbow thrust a hoof in my direction. "The train doesn't even go to Yakyakistan!"

"I know! I don't know how I got there, either."

Groaning, Dash pinched her nose. "All right, all right. Provided I don't have to save Ponyville from some threat, I can drop Dinky off for you."

"And pick her up?" I sheepishly asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine."

Throwing my forelegs around her, I wrapped Rainbow Dash up in hug. "Thanks so much! You're the best."

Grinning, she nudged me away. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Hmmm…" My mind wandered, looking for a secret that Rainbow Dash wouldn't know.

Dash facehoofed again. "I didn't mean that literally."

"O-oh," I replied. "Silly me." I gave myself a light rap on the noggin as I gave Rainbow a smile. "Anyway, I'll let you get back to your nap." I spread my wings and took flight as I waved to Rainbow Dash.

It didn't take me long to get back to Ponyville, though I did get turned around after getting there. It's just so hard figuring everything out from the sky, especially since all the houses look so similar. In the end, it still only took me a few minutes to find my way back to my house.

As I got close, though, I noticed somepony on my doorstep. Just as I started to wonder who it was, I got close enough to see. My heart skipped a beat. It was Vinyl Scratch! What in the wide, wide world of Equestria was she doing at my house? I didn't even tell her where I lived.

I swooped down to greet her, but my hoof got caught up as I tried to land. The next thing I knew, I was all tangled up with Vinyl on the ground. Instinctively, I opened my mouth to apologize, but my voice refused to come out as I realized that I was laying on top of Vinyl, her muzzle a hair's breadth from mine.

She never missed a beat. A quick jut forward, and her succulent lips pressed to mine. My heart thumped in my chest as my blood surged to my face. Before I could even think to respond, she pulled back and slipped out from beneath me.

"I-I... bwuh?" I articulated myself best as my clogged brain would allow.

After standing and brushing herself off, Vinyl held out a hoof. I took her hoof in my own, and she yanked me up. I absentmindedly tried to wipe the dirt and dust from my hide as most of my attention focused on trying to calm down.

"S-sorry," I finally managed to say. "Sometimes landings are kind of... twisty."

Vinyl just smiled at me in turn. Pulling her head to the side, she turned and started walking.

"You want me to follow you?" I asked, trotting after her. Her head bobbed up and down a bit, though it was hard to tell if she was nodding or just walking.

Just as I was about to ask where we were going, I bit my tongue. Would that be rude? It's not like she could really answer. Well, I guess she could point or stop and use her writing spell. Still, I didn't want to make things awkward.

Instead, I defaulted to small talk, even if Vinyl could only listen. "You know, you just missed meeting Dinky. I was just getting back after taking her to school."

Vinyl didn't respond other than to look over at me. That meant she was interested, right? I smiled back at her. "I'd really like for you to meet her, but, uh, it might be best if we wait to introduce you two. Dinky... doesn't always like it when I go out with somepony."

Vinyl raised an eyebrow, and I shook my head in turn. "It's kind of complicated."

I turned back, only to find Vinyl gone. I tripped, but managed to open my wings before I hit the ground. Taking flight, I rose until I spotted Vinyl headed for the cafe. I swooped over, keeping my hooves off the ground. That way they don't get in the way… usually.

"You almost gave me the slip," I said as I flew alongside Vinyl.

Vinyl didn't really respond. Instead, she just made a beeline for a table at the cafe. She sat down across from a stallion that definitely looked familiar to me. As well he should have. It was Filthy Rich. No way I could forget him. He's only fired me three or four times.

I lowered myself, sitting between the two of them. Filthy Rich eyed me critically before turning to give a hard stare to Vinyl. " _This_ is the mare you think should take the bartending job?"

Vinyl gave a resolute nod.

Oh my gosh! Vinyl said she'd try to get me that bartending job. This must have been my job interview! I suddenly found myself even more nervous. Running a hoof down my mane, I straightened up. "I-it's nice to meet you again, Mr. Rich."

He sighed, pinching his nose. "And so we meet again, Mrs. Hooves."

"It's 'Miss Hooves,' actually."

Rich gave a nod. "My apologies. You'll have to forgive me. I just remembered that you like to talk a lot about your daughter. How is she, by the way?"

I smiled. "She's…" My smile faded away and I looked down. "We've been better, honestly."

I heard Rich sigh. "Miss Hooves, understand that I think you are a wonderful pony, but as far as being an employee goes… you're far from something that could be called 'ideal.'"

My ears drooped down. "O-oh. I, uh, I understan—"

A loud slam made me flinch away from the table as I looked over to see Vinyl anything but pleased. She withdrew her hooves from the table as blue worlds swirled into existence.

 _COME ON RICH_

 _ITS NOT LIKE YOU_

 _HAVE ANYPONY ELSE_

 _LINING UP FOR THE JOB_

Filthy Rich groaned. "Vinyl, I've employed this mare before. She's… how to put this delicately…"

"Accident prone?" I suggested.

"Yes," he said pointing at me. "You see, even she understands."

Vinyl didn't back down, crossing her arms over her chest.

 _JUST GIVE HER_

 _A CHANCE_

 _IM SURE_

 _SHE WILL BE GREAT_

"Ugh." Rich rubbed his head. "I know we need a new bartender but—"

Vinyl snapped her head to the side, rapping twice on the table.

 _FINE I WILL JUST_

 _KEEP TENDING BAR_

Rich stared hard at Vinyl. Finally, he sighed. "You're not going to let this go, are you?" Vinyl didn't reply other than to give her head a firm shake. "All right, all right." He turned to me. "I'll give you _a chance_ , but if you cause a lot of problems, I'm going to have to let you go. Understood?"

A huge smile spread over my face. "Really? I mean, yes!" Barely restraining myself from giving him a hug, I settled on an enthusiastic nod.

Rubbing his temples, he glared over at Vinyl. "I never wanted you tending bar in the first place, you know."

Grinning, Vinyl leaned back in her seat.

 _IM THE BEST_

 _BARTENDER_

 _YOU GOT AND_

 _YOU KNOW IT_

"That's not what I'm concerned about, and _you_ know it."

I looked between Vinyl and Rich as they stared at each other. "Is there… something I'm not getting here?"

Both of them turned to stare at me. Although Rich's look was an inquisitive one, Vinyl looked… scared. I could tell, even behind those purple sunglasses.

After sharing a glance with Vinyl, Filthy Rich turned back to me. "Are you telling me that Vinyl didn't tell you?"

I looked over at Vinyl, and she looked away. "I… guess not," I said. "Is everything okay?"

Rich fixed Vinyl with a serious glare. "Are you going to tell her, or should I?" In turn, Vinyl waved a hoof dismissively at Rich.

"Fine." He turned to me, folding his forelegs over his chest. "Did you know that Vinyl used to have a voice?"

I shook my head before looking over at Vinyl. She purposefully kept herself turned away from me. "I didn't. What happened?"

"In a word: booze," he said.

My hooves flew over my mouth as I gasped. "Oh my gosh! She didn't get... sick, did she?"

Rich let out a bitter chuckle. "Nothing so benign." Giving another look at Vinyl, he sighed. "Vinyl had a rather bad habit of always going overboard when she drank. One night, she got far too 'friendly' with a mare that had no interest in her advances. She got bucked, right in the throat."

Wincing, I dragged a hoof along the front of my neck. "That sounds really painful."

Holding a hoof just above the table, Rich spoke, "She came _this_ close to dying. The doctors were able to keep her on this side of the river styx, but they couldn't save her voice."

I leaned forward, trying to see Vinyl's neck. Going just a bit too far, my legs fell out from underneath me. Thankfully, the mushroom tabletop wasn't hard, so it didn't hurt when I slammed down on it. Of course, that didn't do anything to spare me embarrassment. "Sorry!" I quickly said, sitting straight up again.

Rich pinched his nose again, and I heard a long sigh escape his lips. "Anyway, to her merit, Vinyl has abstained from her favorite beverage on the recommendation of her doctor… and virtually everypony else she knew. Despite that, I'd prefer her not to have the temptation of having free and full access to enough liquor to drown a dragon."

"I guess." Again I glanced at Vinyl. She still wouldn't look at me.

"Ah, that would be my food," Rich said as he leaned out, watching a waiter exit the building. Turning back to Vinyl, he said, "Vinyl, I want you to train Derpy. Don't let her work the bar until you're confident she can handle it. If she can't handle it, then she doesn't tend bar. Capisce?"

Finally Vinyl turned back, and gave Filthy Rich a firm nod.

"Good," Rich said as the waiter plopped the plate down in front of him. "Now, if you ladies will excuse me." I got up, hesitantly following after Vinyl when Rich called out after me. "And Derpy? I'll tell you the same thing I tell everypony else allowed behind the bar: Vinyl doesn't get served."

"G-got it." I turned back, only to find Vinyl halfway down the street already.

I caught up to Vinyl just after she rounded the corner. "Hey, wait up."

Stopping, she hesitated for a couple of seconds before her shades glowed and rose up to rest on her horn. Blinking away the midmorning light, she turned to me with those big, cerise eyes. Pressing a hoof to my shoulder, she looked at me with an expression exuding pain and fear.

I blinked a couple before it hit me. "You're worried about what Filthy Rich said? About your voice and drinking?"

At first, she looked a bit surprised. Then, she hung her head with a pathetic nod.

I crouched down to make eye contact with her. "Hey," I said with a smile, "I've never heard your voice—not that I wouldn't have liked to—but that doesn't change anything about us. I've only ever known you like this."

Vinyl sat back up, though her ears continued to droop.

"And, hey, if you don't drink anymore, then how is that a problem, either?" I rubbed the back of my neck. "Um, I can stop drinking, too, if that would make you feel better."

The next thing I knew, Vinyl had thrown herself on me, her hooves wrapping around my neck. Despite my best efforts, I just couldn't keep my balance. Again I found myself on the ground. Though, this time, Vinyl was on top of me.

A shudder ran through me as we lay there, our noses practically touching. My vision was dominated by Vinyl's entrancing eyes. Again, my heart skipped a beat as I saw my own eyes reflected in her dazzling gaze.

I leaned up, my nose touching her's as my lips reached for Vinyl's.

"Mommy, what're those ladies doing?"

Vinyl and I froze. Looking over, I watched a Pegasus hurriedly usher her filly—a child too young yet for school—away.

The next thing I knew, Vinyl took my hoof, yanking me up. She lowered her shades over her eyes, though the action did little to hide the stunning red band reaching across her cheeks. My forehooves went to my own cheeks, surely every bit as red as Vinyl's. "That's so embarrassing," I said as soon as the two disappeared from sight.

Vinyl tilted her head to the side and started off in that direction.

Following her lead, I fell in step beside her. "S-so, um, did you want me to stop drinking?"

Vinyl glanced in my direction before giving her head a firm shake.

A smile found my lips as I sighed. "Oh good." I looked over at Vinyl and suddenly realized that what I said must've sounded terrible. "N-no, I mean, I'm glad you don't mind. My drinking that is. I'll still try to not do it when you're around." Vinyl looked over at me. "Unless you want me to! That's, I mean…"

I hung my head in defeat. "I… I'll be quiet now."

A heavy silence soon befell Vinyl and I, and I couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing. As a whole, Vinyl didn't seem to mind my blathering, and she hadn't really done anything out of the normal since. Though, it was kind of hard to tell what was normal with Vinyl. If I were honest with myself, I would admit that I really didn't know all that much about the alabaster mare.

Actually, that would only be expected. I only met her _last night_. We haven't even known each other for a whole day. Yet already I've started some kind of relationship with her, and she's gotten me a job, and… and this is happening too fast. Way too fast!

Fighting off the urge to panic, I turned to Vinyl. "Um, m-maybe this is going a little… fast. I'm just not so sure that I'm ready for all this and—"

A hoof thrust into my chest, stopping me both verbally and physically. Vinyl stared at me a moment before stepping back and pointing her horn to a nearby wall. A blue glow surrounded her horn.

 _YOU WILL DO FINE_

 _I BELIEVE IN YOU_

I stared at the words, a bit baffled. What was she talking about? I turned back to see her unlocking a door. It was then that I realized just where it was we were. This was the club where we met. Though, without the lights and deafening noise, it barely seemed like the same building.

A bit hesitantly, I stepped inside as Vinyl turned the lights on. It was definitely the same place, though the lights overhead were normal. None of the strobing, multicolored lights from last night could be seen. It certainly gave the club a different sort of feel. Almost eerie, being so big, and open, and empty.

Hearing two raps, I looked over to find Vinyl behind the bar. She motioned for me to come over. Trotting over, I headed behind the bar to see for the first time what the employee's side of a bar looked like. It was a bit disappointing. Stowed under the bar were mere dishes and bottles with some rags and hoses.

Vinyl held a laminated booklet, tethered to the bar. Upon closer inspection, it held the recipes of various drinks. It was like a little cheat sheet hidden there behind the bar. It's small size suggested that there might not be a whole lot to memorize after all. That was definitely a good sign.

"S-so I need to remember these?" I asked, taking the booklet from Vinyl.

She nodded. As she turned to leave, I caught her by the shoulder. Vinyl turned back, and I withdrew my hoof. "I, um… Can we talk? About us."


	5. Here's Hoping

Vinyl stared at me, her face unreadable save for a raised eyebrow. Somehow I'd expected more of a response after I told her that we needed to have a talk about our relationship. "It's just…" I ran a hoof along the bar. "Well, maybe things are going a little… fast?"

Putting a hoof up on the table, Vinyl summoned magic letters there.

 _AM I MAKING YOU_

 _UNCOMFORTABLE?_

Blinking, I soaked it in a moment. Of course, the first thought to bubble up was the memory of me being on top of Vinyl followed by the one of her being on top of me. Feeling hot, I shook my head. "N-no. Not really."

A small smile touched the corners of Vinyl's mouth. Leaning in right next to me, Vinyl summoned her magic again.

 _SCARED?_

"Y-yeah," I said, nodding, "kinda." Feeling a foreleg drape over my shoulders, I turned to find Vinyl had removed her glasses again. She gave me a lopsided grin and her horn glowed.

 _HEY IM RIGHT HERE_

 _NEXT TO YOU IF_

 _YOURE SCARED_

I gave Vinyl a weak smile. "Are you scared, too?"

 _A LITTLE_

 _BUY HEY_

 _SCARY CAN BE FUN_

"Th-thanks, Vinyl." I stepped back, letting Vinyl's leg fall off of my shoulders. "That makes me feel a little better."

Withdrawing her hoof, Vinyl's posture drooped a bit as her ears lowered.

 _DO YOU WANT TO_

 _SLOW DOWN?_

I rubbed my foreleg with a hoof. "Well… I dunno," I muttered. "I just… maybe we should get to know each other a little better?"

Vinyl perked right up.

 _COOL!_

 _SO ANOTHER DATE?_

After considering it for just a moment, I gave Vinyl a smile and a nod. "That might be fun. Especially if it's like the last one."

Nodding in turn, Vinyl summoned a new phrase of swirling letters.

 _SWEET_

 _AND HEY_

 _WE CAN TALK_

 _HERE TOO_

The blue, whirling magic swept away the letters, reforming into new words.

 _GET TO KNOW_

 _EACH OTHER_

My smile grew even wider. "I'd like that."

Nodding again, Vinyl turned away. She left through a door behind the bar into what I could only assume was the kitchen. Still, I couldn't help but to wonder: what's back there?

Allowing my curiosity to win out, I followed after Vinyl. Through the door was a short hallway leading to a couple of other doors. Worse, I'd waited too long and Vinyl must've already left into one. I decided that I wouldn't be deterred, and chose the door at the end of the hallway.

Creaking the door open only revealed shadows. "Hello?" I asked, poking my head in. I didn't see anything, but I felt a string hit my head. Grabbing at it, the light above came on. The room, it turned out, was little more than a closet with some cleaning supplies and a breaker box on one end and a series of barrels hooked up to hoses on the other.

After turning off the light, I turned around. I barely caught a glimpse of a streaked blue tail headed back to the bar area. Starting after her, I pulled the closet door closed behind me. A horrible crash sounded from within, but I let it pass. Instead, I chased after Vinyl.

I trotted into the next room to find Vinyl at the bar. As I approached, she caught sight of me. She turned her head toward the bar and used a hoof to slide a big, thick book my way. I turned to find the brown book had big, yellow letters written on the front. It read: BIG BOOK OF BARTENDING.

"What's this?" I asked, flipping the cover over. Inside, the table of contents mentioned stuff like bartender's duties, laws and regulations, mixed drinks, taps, dealing with customers, and all kinds of crazy stuff. I flipped through a few of the pages, growing dizzy at the endless lines of text. "Am I… supposed to learn all this stuff?"

Vinyl gave me a firm nod.

Suddenly, the whole prospect of bartending seemed a lot more daunting. My ears drooped as I looked again at the thick book. "This is… gonna take a while."

Over the pages, blue wisps twisted into words.

 _YOU DONT HAVE_

 _TO LEARN THE_

 _THING INSIDE AND OUT_

 _JUST THE BASICS_

Looking up, I found Vinyl smiling at me. "O-okay," I said, nodding.

Vinyl stepped over. Her aura wrapped around the book and it closed before rising into the air. Floating over, it came to rest on her back, though her horn continued to emit magical light. I looked around, finding letters on the bar.

 _I HAVE TO GET SOME_

 _SLEEP BEFORE_

 _MY SHIFT TONIGHT_

 _LETS GET GOING_

As the letters faded away, I heard Vinyl's hoofsteps. I followed her to the exit. As soon as I stepped back out into the blinding light of day, Vinyl shut and locked the door. Then, that ivory horn again glowed, forming letters on the door.

Blinking back the sunlight, I squinted at the phrase.

 _LETS_ _GO TO_

 _MY PLACE_

"All right," I said, a bit confused. "Um… why?"

Vinyl just turned back to me, raising an eyebrow. Motioning a hoof between the two of us, she nodded off to the side.

"Oh! You still want to talk about us before you go to bed?"

Giving me a nod, Vinyl turned and led me away from the club.

"Um, well, I guess I can tell you a little more about me," I said, keeping pace with Vinyl. Of course, Vinyl couldn't really reply, so I just had to guess at a line of conversation. "I already told you about my little filly, Dinky. I'm glad you didn't freak out or anything. I've actually had a couple of dates end because I brought her up."

I caught sight of Vinyl's eyebrow raising above her sunglasses. "Yeah," I muttered, looking back down at the path. "A lot of times I don't even make it to the end of a date, let alone a second one." Breathing out a long sigh, I looked over at Vinyl. I couldn't help but to smile. "I think you're the first pony I've been on a second date with since at least winter, and it's already starting to get cold again."

I blinked, realizing that I might have been painting the wrong kind of picture. "I-it's not like I go on dates a lot. Maybe one or two a month. It just… never works out." My ears drooped as I breathed a long sigh.

I felt a nudge in my side, and turned to find Vinyl staring back at me. Giving her a smile, I said, "I'm glad things are going well. I guess I'm just not used to things actually working out."

A silence started to settle in, and I couldn't help but to feel like I should keep talking. After all, this whole "getting to know each other" thing was my idea. "Vinyl?" She turned to look at me, and I gave her my most earnest smile. "Thank you. And not just for helping me get a job or actually showing up after the first date. I…" My face scrunched up as I searched for the words to say how I felt. "We haven't known each other long, but I already feel like I can really trust you."

Vinyl's grin widened. She nodded down a path leading to a modest house on the outskirts of Ponyville.

"Oh! Is that your house?"

Vinyl nodded again, and we started down the path. I bit my tongue. As much as I wanted to ask her about her house, I knew that she wouldn't be able to reply until we actually got there.

Inside, the house appeared really nice. It was every bit as big as my place, and by the look of it, she had the whole place to herself. And it was so neat, too. Though, I'm sure she didn't have a little filly to be constantly be picking up after.

I turned to compliment Vinyl, only to find that she'd disappeared. "Vinyl?" I tentatively called out as I wondered whether or not I should look around for her.

No, I'd probably break something if I wandered off. Instead, I just occupied myself with Vinyl's decor. Instead of pictures or posters on her walls, she had a bunch of records behind panes of glass. I couldn't tell what they were for, or why she would have them on the wall. How would she play them?

Speaking of playing them, the biggest thing I could see was her DJ booth, just like the one at the club. A complete set of speakers sat all around it and everything. Walking up to it, I noticed that a pair of records were still in place. I reached out for the needle, but stopped as I felt a tapping on my shoulder.

Turning around, I found Vinyl, her horn glowing. I started to look for words, but stopped when I noticed that she had a marker and a board in her aura. A small, high-pitched squeak sounded as she uncapped the marker and scribbled on the board. Her tongue stuck out a bit as she traced the words, and then she turned the board to me.

 _IT'S WAY EASIER_

 _TO TALK WITH THIS._

I blinked. Oh! That's right, she'd said before that the magic she used to make words was hard to do. I gave her a big smile. "O-oh, I see." I scratched my head. "Wait, why don't you just take that with you? You could probably walk and talk at the same time with that."

Vinyl shook her head. Vigorously rubbing a foreleg across the board, she erased it only to start writing again.

 _STILL TOO HARD_

 _TO DO THAT._

 _BESIDES, THIS_

 _JUST LOOKS DUMB._

A giggle escaped my mouth. "I guess, a little."

Pulling the board and marker in close to her, Vinyl pulled her head to the side. I followed her into the next room. This one was a lot smaller, having only a couch and a couple of chairs around a coffee table. The walls in this room were decorated with records, too.

Vinyl flopped down on the couch. Floating the board above her, she scribbled some more. She flashed me a grin as she turned the board toward me.

 _TAKE A LOAD OFF._

 _PLENTY OF CHAIRS,_

 _THOUGH THIS COUCH_

 _IS PRETTY COMFY_

 _WITH TWO._

My heart thumped in my chest. She wanted to cuddle? Or something… more?

No. No, she gave me a choice. But what should I do? I wouldn't want to disappoint her by sitting in a chair, and for the life of me, I couldn't even remember the last time I'd done something so intimate with anypony but Dinky.

Still, I couldn't just do that, could I? Especially not after I just told her that we needed to slow down and that I was uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable, but I couldn't help but want to cuddle there with Vinyl.

Oh no, Vinyl! Here I stood, just looking like some featherbrain, while she patiently waited for me to make up my mind. I had to do something.

I took a step, and failed. The room spun and I saw the ceiling underneath me as I hit… something soft? Shaking my head a bit, I found myself nestled between Vinyl and the backrest of the couch.

How did that happen?

The next thing I knew, a board floated into my vision and I felt Vinyl huddle up against me. Her foreleg wrapped around me.

 _WELL AREN'T YOU EAGER?_

A heat welled up in me as my heart's violent rhythm came back even stronger than before. Being huddled up against Vinyl just made the warmth overwhelming worse. Oh my gosh! With her up against me, she must've been able to feel my heart's desperate thumping. I felt as though I would die right then and there.

Then, I felt Vinyl nuzzle against my chin and neck. The pounding in my chest softened to an intense tattoo as I dared look to her. As soon as my eyes met her's, she took hold of my chin with a hoof while her glasses floated off of her face and out of my view. Locked in her firm grip, I couldn't look away despite the undeniable desire to.

Our noses touched, and she leaned forward. Instead of moving her lips towards mine, her forehead touched mine and stayed there. After a few moments, it finally dawned on me to breathe. My breaths came in ragged bursts as my thoughts finally moved to something other than my own embarrassment.

I felt Vinyl's warmth and her legs around me. It brought back vague memories long since forgotten. I hadn't been held like this—safe and secure—since I was a filly. Midnight held me, sure, but it was never so… I couldn't even find the words to describe it.

I could feel her chest moving, and it didn't take long for my breathing to slow down and match her's. Just as I calmed down, Vinyl pulled back. She planted a kiss on my forehead before settling down next to me.

Words failed me. I couldn't think of anything to say. Anything to do. I just lay there, frozen in my content. I started to snuggle closer to Vinyl, but she pushed back against me.

I looked up, seeing the board flying above us.

 _YOU OKAY?_

 _I THOUGHT YOU_

 _MIGHT FAINT._

"Y-yeah. I just… I don't know what came over me." Closing my eyes, I breathed a deep breath in and out, feeling my chest swell and ebb from Vinyl's. "I'm better, thanks to you."

A cloth swept over the board, erasing the words. Vinyl brought the marker back to the board, writing in a new phrase.

 _YEAH, I CAN HAVE_

 _THAT EFFECT ON_

 _CUTE MARES._

Giggling at Vinyl's nonsense, I glanced over to find her grinning at me. That look on her face just made me laugh harder. "You're so silly."

Vinyl just looked kind of confused as she scratched her head. Turning her attention back to the board, she swept it clean and started writing again.

 _YOU WANTED TO TALK?_

Oh! I'd almost forgotten about all that. "Y-yeah. I just—I mean, with what Mr. Rich said earlier, I realized that I don't know a lot about you. I'd like to know you better."

Another swipe, and Vinyl began to write anew.

 _I'M NOT THAT_

 _COMPLICATED._

I turned to look back at Vinyl. Her shoulders shrugged before she went back to her board.

 _WHAT DO YOU_

 _WANT TO KNOW?_

"About you, Vinyl."

I heard her sigh as she cleaned the board. The marker hesitated before scribbling anew.

 _I USED TO_

 _PARTY A LOT._

 _THAT AND MAKING_

 _MUSIC WERE_

 _ALL I DID._

"That sounds… fun?" I replied as Vinyl wiped the words away.

 _IT WAS._

She erased the short phrase.

 _THAT ALL STOPPED_

 _WHEN I LOST MY VOICE._

 _NOT AS MUCH FUN_

 _WHEN YOU'RE SOBER._

I nudged her. "Don't be silly. Parties are lots of fun, even if there is no drinking."

 _YOU DON'T GET IT._

 _I'D ALWAYS WAKE UP_

 _IN SOME WEIRD PLACE_

 _AND NOT REMEMBER_

 _HOW I GOT THERE._

As soon as she was sure I'd read through, she erased the board and started again.

 _I HAD A GREAT TIME._

 _BUT I COULDN'T_

 _REMEMBER IT._

 _IT_

Vinyl hesitated, her marker sitting on the same spot for a long moment. Finally, she finished the sentence.

 _IT WAS KILLING ME._

It took a few seconds for the words to really sink in. Even then, I found it hard to believe. "I-it—was it really that bad?"

I felt Vinyl nod.

 _IT WASN'T UNTIL I_

 _WOKE UP IN THE_

 _HOSPITAL THAT I_

 _REALIZED IT._

She quickly erased the board and scribbled again.

 _I SPENT MONTHS_

 _RECOVERING. NOT_

 _JUST MY THROAT_

 _EITHER._

When Vinyl erased the board and didn't start writing again, I felt as though it was my turn again. "I… I can hardly believe it." Vinyl raised her eyebrow. I'd have thrown my hooves up, had I not been snuggled up so closely to Vinyl. "Not that I don't believe you! It's just… well, I mean you've got things together a lot better than I do." I shied away from her gaze. "A better house than mine, and you have a great job. You're even friends with your boss. It's like you've got everything sorted out already."

I peeked up, only to find Vinyl looking away. A swipe of magic, and the smell of marker touched my nose. I tried to lean over, but just as I started to move, Vinyl shoved the board in my face.

 _WELL I DON'T._

"You don't?"

I felt her sigh again. Floating the board comfortably in front of us again, she started to write.

 _I DON'T KNOW WHAT_

 _I WANT ANYMORE._

 _I WANT TO HAVE FUN_

 _AND BE FUN, BUT_

 _BUT I'M SCARED._

"Scared?" I said, interrupting her scribbling.

She nodded as she swept the board clean.

 _WHAT IF I GO TO_

 _A PARTY AND END_

 _UP DRINKING?_

Again, she erased the board to write anew.

 _I HAVEN'T DONE_

 _MUCH OF ANYTHING_

 _SINCE I GOT OUT OF_

 _THE HOSPITAL._

I nudged Vinyl. "Hey, you've done a lot. Just look at this place."

 _YEAH AND I'VE DONE_

 _SOME AWESOME_

 _STUFF WITH MY_

 _MUSIC AND_

After erasing, she tapped the back of the marker against her lip a moment before continuing.

 _AND I LEARNED THAT_

 _SPELL TO MAKE_

 _WORDS AND THINGS_

 _LIKE THAT, BUT_

After erasing the board, Vinyl didn't start writing again. "But what?" I asked.

Her eyes glanced away. After a long moment, she sighed and pressed her marker to the board again.

 _IT'S LIKE I DON'T_

 _EVEN KNOW WHAT_

 _I WANT ANYMORE._

This time, the erasure and writing was almost fervent.

 _I DON'T WANT TO_

 _GO BACK TO THE_

 _WAY THINGS WERE,_

 _BUT I STILL WANT TO_

 _LET LOOSE SOMETIMES._

"Hey, you can still have tons of fun even if you don't go buckwild," I said, yawning.

I felt Vinyl snuggle up against me. When I looked up, I found a new phrase on the board.

 _IT'S NOT THE SAME_

I gave my head a little shake. "No. It's not. But that doesn't mean it has to be any less fun. Just… different."

 _SOMETIMES I WONDER_

 _IF ALL THIS IS WORTH_

 _ALL THE STRESS._

"Hey don't think like that. You've got a wonderful home and a good job doing what you like and everything." Taking a moment to really think about what Vinyl was saying, I changed my tune. "But, I guess if you're not happy… it isn't enough, huh?"

Instead of replying with her board, Vinyl just held me tighter as she nodded.

"Well, maybe we can find a way for you to be happy together," I said. I leaned in towards Vinyl, her breathing echoing in my ears above the silence. The next thing I knew, she nudged me. I opened my eyes to find her horn aglow. Glancing up, I found a new written phrase accompanied by a doodle.

 _HERE'S HOPING._

Underneath the words, appeared to be a drawing of two mugs of cider crashing together in a toast.

I giggled before my eyes drooped down again. Awash in Vinyl's warmth, the world slipped away from me.


	6. The Lady and the Lady Killer

I walked down the streets of Ponyville wearing my trusty headphones. The driving beat pulsating in my ears did little more than block out the noise around me. Even on a bad day, I could usually lose myself in a good beat. But not today. Today my mind was a million miles away. Well, at least like four or five blocks away.

As I crossed an intersection, my eyes drew to the side and my hooves stopped. Down that way was Derpy's house. For once, I actually didn't want to go there. Sure, we'd been hitting it off well, even if things were going awfully slowly. But today Derpy wanted me to watch her kid while she studied that bartending book. I just couldn't help but to dread actually meeting her. I didn't know anything about fillies.

Sighing, I started forward. I wasn't supposed to be by Derpy's place for another couple of hours, so I had another destination in mind. To put my mind at ease, I'd arranged to meet with an old friend.

I just knew she was gonna be a pain in the flank.

A couple of blocks, and I came to my destination: Carousel Boutique. Pulling my headphones off and stowing them in my trusty old jacket, I threw open the door and stepped inside. The first thing I saw was Rarity, hard at work at her sewing machine.

Rare turned at the sound of the entry bell, giving me a smile. "Why hello, Vinyl," she said. She grabbed her materials up in her magic and set them aside. "I was expecting you to be late, as usual."

How I wish I could groan. Instead I just rolled my eyes and threw my jacket aside.

Trotting toward her kitchen, she beckoned to me, "Come along, darling. I'll have everything set up in but a moment."

As I walked into the kitchen, I found Rare setting up everything for morning tea. She floated over place settings and all the fancy cups and stuff. I took my usual seat, and Rare levitated a whiteboard and marker over to me.

To make sure the marker was good, I uncapped it and scribbled on the board. It left behind a nice, dark streak and the noxious smell of chemicals. I lowered the board just in time to see Rare step away from the stove and kettle.

"It shouldn't be too long," she said the moment she caught my eye. Pulling the fridge open, she withdrew a platter of tiny, precut sandwiches. She set it down and took a seat across from me. "There we are. Help yourself."

Grabbing one with my magic, I stuffed it in my mouth. It was cold from the fridge, but still pretty good. I grabbed a second one, and Rare cleared her throat. I paused, looking up at her.

"So, what brings sleeping beauty to my parlor in the middle of the morning? Aren't you usually asleep at this hour?"

Parlor? Wasn't that the other room? Giving my shoulders a good shrug, I put the sandwich in my mouth and focused on the whiteboard.

 _SO I'M SEEING THIS_

 _NEW MARE AND I_

 _DON'T REALLY KNOW_

 _WHAT I WANT TO DO._

I turned the board so Rare could see it, then waited for her to read it. Her eyes stopped tracing the words and she looked up at me, raising an eyebrow. "What? Surely you cannot be serious."

I wiped away the words with my foreleg, only to hear Rare groan. The next thing I knew, a rag floated between me and the board. Wordlessly voicing my complaints, I grabbed the rag with a hoof, wiping off my leg and the board.

 _SHE'S TOTALLY AWESOME._

 _IT'S LIKE SHE COMPLETELY_

 _UNDERSTANDS ME._

Rare's eyes traced the board, then she sat back, crossing her forelegs over her chest. "Forgive me, but I still don't quite see your problem."

Wiping the board clean with the rag, I organized my response in my head. Then, I put marker to board.

 _WELL SHE'S REALLY_

 _SWEET AND ALL, BUT_

 _SHE HAS A KID AND_

 _WANTS TO GO SLOW._

"A child?" Rare asked, her head shaking just a bit. "Excuse my asking, but wouldn't a mare with a child be more interested in, you know, stallions?"

I grinned as I erased the board and quickly scribbled a response.

 _NOPE. SHE'S JUST_

 _HORNY FOR HORNS._

Just as I expected, Rare's face scrunched up in disgust as she read the words. I waited for her to look back up at me. The moment she did, I tapped a hoof against my horn for emphasis. I swear she turned a little green.

Our back and forth got interrupted by a building whistle. Rare scrambled to get away. Lifting the kettle in her magic, she turned back to me. "I didn't need to know _that_."

I smirked back at her and pulled up the board in my aura.

 _HEY,_ _YOU ASKED._

Rare rolled her eyes. "Yes, and I find myself regretting it already."

While Rare got to work on the tea, I turned to the board and thought about what I really needed to say.

 _SHE WAS REALLY CUTE_

 _AND SOME JERK JUST_

 _STOOD HER UP. I HAD_

 _TO ASK HER OUT._

Rare looked up after adding the leaves and saw the board. A soft sigh escaped her lips. "I'm sure you felt that way at the time, but that's neither here nor there. Go on."

 _I DON'T KNOW. I REALLY_

 _WANT HER, BUT IT'S LIKE_

My marker just sat there, refusing to write out the rest of the phrase.

"Like what, darling?"

I erased the board, occupying myself with another cold sandwich. By the time I'd finished eating it, I still hadn't come up with a better way of phrasing it. _Screw it_.

 _I'M AFRAID I'LL BLOW_

 _IT OR SOMETHING._

A light chuckle accompanied a smile as Rarity filled the cups through a strainer. "You simply must be pulling my leg. Why, I've seen you blow it with a dozen mares in half as many days and keep on going like nothing ever happened. Why in Equestria would you care now?"

As she set the kettle back down, her eyes went wide and she smirked at me. "Oh, ho, ho!" She chuckled, her smile growing wider. "Don't tell me that you're actually starting to develop real feelings for somepony."

I quickly scribbled a response.

 _DON'T BE STUPID!_

Chuckling, she hid her muzzle behind her cup. After taking a long sip, she set the teacup down. "There's no need to get so riled up, darling. I'm happy for you. All of your incessant one-night stands and salacious affairs weren't healthy. I'm glad to see you actually have romantic feelings outside of lust."

 _HEY I HAVEN'T CHANGED_

 _AT ALL. SHE JUST HAS A_

 _KID AND I DON'T KNOW_

 _HOW TO HANDLE THAT._

 _OKAY? I DON'T DO KIDS._

I grabbed my cup with a hoof and pressed it to my lips. Hopefully she wouldn't be able to gauge my expression with it in the way.

"Well, if that's true—and I don't believe that it is—then wouldn't you just cut your losses and run?" She took another drink from her cup, keeping her nose high in the air. "That's certainly the kind of impulsive behavior I'd expect from you."

I dropped the cup back onto the saucer and went back to my board.

 _IF YOU'RE NOT GOING_

 _TO HELP ME, I'M JUST_

 _GOING TO GO._

I tossed the board toward Rarity. A swipe of blue magic kept it from smashing into her tea set. After giving it a quick read, she rounded the table and kept me from getting up.

Locking me in a firm stare, she said, "If you would let me finish, I was just getting to that part."

Breathing a long breath out through my nose, I grabbed my cup and took a long sip.

"Good," Rare said. She went back to her side of the table and sat down. Giving me back the board, she grabbed her teacup. "I was just saying that you, Vinyl, are perhaps the most impulsive pony I've ever met." She thrusted her teacup toward the board. "Case in point."

I didn't reply other than to raise an eyebrow.

"Any artist is at the whim of her muses. I'm no exception. Inspiration strikes and I can often go days in such a tizzy that I barely eat." She punctuated her words with a loud sip.

I rolled my eyes behind my shades as I scribbled a response.

 _WHAT'S YOUR POINT?_

Rare leaned forward. "My point is that succumbing to those desires is what truly allows our inspiration to flow. We wouldn't be the successes we are without them. _But_ there is a very big difference between you and me." Again lifting her teacup, she sent me the not-so-subtle message that it was again my turn to push the conversation forward. Like whatever I said would really affect her tirade.

 _OH YEAH? WHAT'S THAT?_

"I know when to stop." She cleared her throat before adding a meek "usually." Setting her cup down, she leaned back with a sigh. "I don't let every little, fleeting whim control my life. You know, your problem with alcohol wasn't that you drank constantly or needed to drink. It was that, whenever you did drink, you always, _always_ took it way too far."

I didn't wait for her to send me another little signal. I shoved the board in her face.

 _JUST CUT TO THE CHASE!_

Rare used a hoof to move the board away from her face. Catching me with a glare, we stared each other down. Finally, she relented with a sigh. "Fine. I think you should pursue this relationship with her, child and all."

Wait, what? I could've sworn she was going the other way on this.

"Oh, ho, ho. Weren't expecting that, were you?" She gave me a smug grin that made me want to smack it off of her. Again, she raised her cup to her lips.

I crossed my forelegs over my chest, taking my marker with my horn.

 _FINE. WHATEVER._

 _MIND TELLING ME WHY?_

"I tried doing that earlier, remember?" I gave her a glare fierce enough to spur her on. "Well, my point was that you always throw yourself to the wind, following whatever fleeting desire guides you. Having somepony to tether you down and give your life stability would be the best thing in the world for you."

Rolling my eyes at her, I grabbed the last sandwich.

 _THAT'S JUST STUPID._

 _DO YOU HAVE ANY_

 _REAL ADVICE FOR ME?_

She stared back at me, totally unamused. "Yes. _Try_ not to blow it right away. If you make it for a week with somepony looking for a real relationship, I'd consider it an astounding miracle."

Washing down the sandwich with my last swig of tea, I scribbled one last phrase.

 _HAVE YOU SEEN HOW_

 _SMOOTH I AM?_

That bored look never left Rare's face. "Yes. Reminiscent of a cactus, that."

I just rolled my eyes as I got up. Waving a hoof, I started for the door.

Rare shoved her chair out, leaning toward me. "Wait, you're leaving already? We haven't even discussed the latest gossip!"

I grabbed the board and marker again.

 _I HAVE TO GO_

 _AND FOALSIT._

"Oooh! Don't think you're getting off that easily. You're coming back later this week to tell me what's going on with Roseluck and that stallion!"

I didn't pay her any mind. There were much bigger problems to worry about.


	7. Spinny Bits

Celestia, what the hay is wrong with me? I felt like slamming my head into the door, but the same hesitation that kept me from just knocking on it held me frozen. So there I stood, on Derpy's doorstep, just staring at the door.

How is it that, of all the things, it's a little filly that has me petrified? This is so stupid! Just because I have no clue what to do with a kid… and this particular kid means way more to Derpy than me… and she's probably gonna hate my guts…

Crap.

Before I had a chance to work up the courage to knock—or go home and blow the whole thing off—the door opened. Derpy stepped into the doorway, and the moment she saw me, she smiled, lighting up those adorable eyes.

So much for backing out. I gave her what I hoped looked like a confident grin.

"Hey, Vinyl, you're right on time." Derpy cast a glance back over her shoulder, then she turned back and stepped outside, closing the door behind her. As soon as the door closed, she leaned in and pressed those sultry lips to mine. Just as quick, she pulled back.

I licked my lips, desperate to taste more of her.

"Sorry, but I, um, well I haven't really told Dinky about us." She sheepishly rubbed one foreleg against the other. "It's just that I think she might be a little more, uh, receptive if she doesn't have it her head that you're, uh… you know. Us."

I didn't really get it, but I nodded anyway. Anything that might make this mistake a little bit better.

"Thanks." Derpy grabbed the door and opened it. "Come on. I'll introduce you."

As alluring as Derpy's flank may have been, I really didn't want to follow her in. This was gonna suck. I just knew it.

The next thing I knew, I found myself taking off my jacket as I stepped inside. Curse that hypnotic flank.

"Dinky, sweetheart, come over here and say hi."

I looked to find a filly trotting over. She looked a lot like Derpy, just smaller and with a horn instead of wings. And she didn't have Derpy's eyes, either. But, then again, what pony did?

When the kid stopped short, Derpy nudged her toward me. "Dinky, this is mommy's new friend. Her name is Vinyl Scratch. She's the one that's helping me get a new job."

The filly's ears folded back as she deliberately looked away from me. "Thanks, I guess," she muttered.

"Be nice," Derpy chided her, again nudging her toward me.

Finally, Dinky looked up at me. All I could think to do was to smile and wave. What else could I do? I didn't even know if the brat could read.

Crap.

What if she can't read? How the hay am I supposed to talk to her?

I looked to Derpy, desperate for a sign of assurance. A long silence began to form before it struck Derpy. "Oh!" She giggled as she knocked a hoof against her skull. "Silly me, I almost forgot." Holding out a hoof toward me, she gave Dinky a smile. "Vinyl can't speak. Her voice doesn't work."

Dinky stared at Derpy for a long moment. Then, she blinked before turning her eyes back on me. "You really can't talk?"

Taking a couple of steps forward, I closed the distance between me and Dinky. I gave my head a firm shake, then sat down. To show off the scars left to me my the doctors, I raised my chin and ran a hoof over my throat to pull back the hair.

The kid's eyes widened as she gasped. "Oh my gosh! Did you get hurt?"

Well, that's one way to put it. Certainly better than explaining to a filly the dangers of caressing an unwilling mare's flank, anyway. I gave a firm nod.

Derpy cleared her throat, bringing our attention back to her. As she looked at Dinky, she pointed to me. "Vinyl here has agreed to watch you while mommy goes to study with the princess. I know Amethyst normally—"

"But Mom, I was gonna go play with Lily and Zip. It's still daytime. I don't need a foalsitter!" Dinky protested.

Derpy sighed, glancing over at me. Hey, if it meant I could put off all this awkwardness, I was all for it, but I'd definitely cause some trouble if I was too eager to get outta here. I settled on a passive shrug.

"All right, Dinky. You can go play with your friends, but you need to come back here for lunch, got it?"

Giving Derpy a vigorous nod, Dinky said, "Yeah!" The kid ran right by me and out the door. "We're going over to Zip's. See ya!"

And just like that, she was gone.

"Sorry Vinyl," Derpy said, kicking at the floor. "It's just so hard saying 'no' sometimes, you know?"

I nodded, more out of compliance than agreement.

"You don't mind waiting here until she gets back, do you?"

I looked over at Derpy's couch. Looked comfy enough. I shook my head.

The next thing I knew, I nearly fell over as Derpy practically tackled me, wrapping her forelegs around me. "Thanks so much, Vinyl! I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you."

For crashing on her couch and watching her kid? I didn't really get why she seemed so grateful, but I returned the hug anyway. Dang she smelled nice. Like a field of flowers after a spring shower.

All too soon, she pulled back. "Okay, I really need to get over to the castle. I don't want to keep the princess waiting." Derpy pointed at a doorway. "The kitchen's there if you need anything. Moving slightly, her hoof pointed to the adjacent hallway. "Bathroom's down that hall, all the way at the end." Derpy turned back to me. "Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself?"

I barely kept myself from rolling my eyes. Instead, I just gave another nod. Nearly falling over herself, Derpy headed out the door. And, just like that, she was gone.

Turning my gaze to Derpy's couch, I decided that now was as good a time as any to get some shuteye.

* * *

A crash woke me from a dead sleep, sending me into the floor and my heart racing. I opened my eyes to find myself in an unfamiliar room. My mind reeled, and it wasn't until a little filly stepped in did it all fall into place. I was at Derpy's place, and I was supposed to be watching this kid.

Grabbing my shades off the coffee table with my magic, I floated them onto my face and sat back up on the couch as the kid walked up. She came to a stop across the table as she glared at me. "I still don't see why I had to come home for lunch." She pointed a hoof back toward the door. "Lily's dad is taking Lily and Zip on a picnic!"

Well, this got off to a great start. Hay, I still didn't even know if this kid would be able to read, but it wasn't like I was flush with other options. I focused my attention on forming letters in my head. Projecting them with my magic, my aura swept over the coffee table, slowly matching the phrase held in my mind's eye.

 _SORRY KID_

 _THIS ISNT HOW_

 _I THOUGHT ID BE_

 _SPENDING MY DAY_

 _EITHER_

She noticed my horn glowing. As she tilted her head ready to ask a pointless question, I knocked on the table. Her eyes moved there, and to my relief, her eyes traced over the words. Instead of responding, she raised a hoof and slid it along the table, tracing a line through my magic.

"How are you doing that?" She asked, looking back up at me.

I just shrugged. That wasn't good enough for her, apparently, as she just kept staring at me with those big, amber eyes. Sighing, I focused on a new phrase in my mind.

 _ITS KIND OF HARD_

 _BUT I THINK ABOUT_

 _THE LETTERS AND_

 _TRACE THEM WITH_

 _MY MAGIC_

After her eyes skimmed over the phrase, her frown returned. "Oh, I'm still no good with magic. I can make my horn glow, but that's about it."

Didn't Derpy mention something about working on her magic? I'm not exactly a teacher or anything, but how hard could it be?

 _CAN YOU AT LEAST_

 _MAKE THINGS GLOW_

 _WITH YOUR HORN?_

Dinky silently mouthed the words as she read them. Then she looked back up at me. "A little." She kicked the ground. "I'm just… bad at it. I can't even lift a fork."

I turned my head back to the door where I dumped my jacket. Reaching out with my magic, I freed a few bits from my pocket. Spilling them on the table, I took one in hoof and tipped it up so that it stood on its edge.

 _A SLIGHT BREEZE_

 _COULD KNOCK_

 _THIS OVER_

 _CAN YOUR MAGIC?_

Dinky lowered her horn toward the coin. A spark of golden magic enveloped her horn, followed by the coin. She stuck her tongue out a bit, then, the coin tipped over. It wasn't surprising. I could've sighed and knocked it over. But still, it meant that she could at least affect her surroundings with her magic.

 _COOL YOU CAN_

 _DO MAGIC_

 _TRY THIS_

I picked up a coin with my hoof. Raising my other hoof, I flicked the edge. It sent the coin into a spin, making a buzzing sound as it danced on the table. Then, I brought my aura to the coin, continuing to hit the edges. It made the coin surge a few inches at a time and maintained the spin.

Sure enough, one of the other bits rose up in a golden aura and started to spin. Though, instead of buzzing wildly, her untrained magic barely kept up a lazy spin.

This was going better than I thought. She wasn't so bad for a kid just learning how to use her horn. Time to push things a little further. I nudged my coin over near hers and circled it a couple of times. Then, I used my tracing spell to leave behind a lingering blue line as I traced out a lazy path all the way across the table. At the other end, I made a circle and put my coin in the middle.

To the kid's credit, she seemed to get the idea right away. Though it wobbled and skidded off-target a couple of times, she was able to guide her bit along the blue line. She even managed to get it to stop and stay spinning inside the circle with my bit.

The blue line faded away as I released the spell. Then, I again spun my bit across the table. Though, this time, I made a bunch of twists, turns, and even a loop before parking my bit back at the far side of the table. Looking at the tracer line that my coin made, I kind of regretted not making it a word or something. Oh! I could do that for the next one.

"What're you smiling about?" Dinky asked, a bit breathlessly, as she started tracing the line with her bit.

I just shrugged, shaking my head a bit. Although I expected some kind of retort, it didn't come. Dinky seemed to be far too focused on keeping her spinning bit on course to do anything else. I could tell she was already getting more steady with it, and I could hear it buzzing louder than before. As she made it to the loop, I decided to throw a surprise into the mix. I leaned forward and gave the table a good bump with my hoof.

Oh, the look on her face when her coin collapsed on the table. She glared up at me, her cheeks puffing out as her face turned red. "You did that on purpose!" she said, pointing a hoof at me.

I nodded, and that seemed to throw her off a bit. What, was she expecting me to lie to her? I just pointed over at my coin, still spinning. Then I nodded toward her coin.

Groaning, she reached over with a hoof toward her bit, but I intercepted her hoof with my own. When she looked up, I pointed to my horn with my free hoof. "Fine," she muttered. Sitting back, she used her horn to pick up her bit and set it spinning again. Just as soon as it was stable, I gave the table another good shove. This time, she kept her coin up, though she still gave me a vicious glare, which was little more than a little hilarious coming from such a tiny filly.

I waited for her to finish tracing the lines. Then, I dropped the tracing spell, letting the lines fade away before starting anew. This time, I traced out a single word with swooping letters: _HUNGRY?_

She actually started to trace it before it struck her to read it. Though her eyes swept over the letters, her horn stayed aglow, and her coin stayed spinning. Even after she read it, she continued tracing the lines. "I guess," she muttered. I couldn't help but notice that she wasn't out of breath when she spoke this time.

I waited for her to finish tracing the word before releasing the spell and getting up. One last flick of magic and my bit crashed into hers causing both to collapse.

 _ALL RIGHT KID_

 _WHAT DO YOU_

 _WANT TO EAT?_

It took her a moment to stop staring at the bits before she read the words. Then, she whipped around to glare at me. I just raised an eyebrow in turn.

"I was just starting to get the hang of it!"

I stopped after only making it halfway around the table. Turning my head toward the table, I concentrated on a series of letters, projecting them with my magic onto the table.

 _YEAH GOOD FOR YOU_

 _NOW LETS EAT_

 _WHAT DO YOU WANT?_

She let out a tiny growl that was anything but intimidating as she crossed her forelegs over her chest. When she saw that her attitude wasn't working on me, she cocked her head to the side. "Fine," she muttered, her voice thick with resentment. "Peanut butter and jelly. _No_ crusts!"

Seriously? Who doesn't like the crust? Rolling my eyes, I hunted around the kitchen, pulling open cabinets and drawers with my magic. The silverware and bread were easy to find, but the most important part, the peanut butter and jelly, were a real pain to find.

Once I had everything in place, the rest was a cinch. I floated the bread by the peanut butter and jelly in an alternating pattern, making several sandwiches in a matter of seconds. I put a few on a plate for me, and two on a plate for the kid. Then I dumped the silverware in the sink and put away everything else.

Grabbing the two plates in my aura, I trotted back over to the couch and placed a plate in front of the kid. Then, I hopped up on the couch and set my plate on my stomach as I lounged there. I grabbed a sandwich in my aura and was about to take a bite when I noticed Dinky glaring at me. Not really wanting to spell anything out, I just raised an eyebrow.

Dinky rolled her eyes as she scoffed. "I said, _no crusts!_ "

If I could have groaned, I would have. Instead, I set my sandwich down and sat up. I gave it half a mind to go back to the kitchen and get another knife, but I figured it'd just be easier to peel the crust off myself. Grabbing the edge of her bread in my magic, I painstakingly peeled back the crust, rolling it off in a single strip. I then did it for the next piece of bread, and finally on the second sandwich.

Rolling back over, I sat back and grabbed my sandwich again. Again I was just about to sink my teeth into my food when Dinky interrupted me. "Whoa! How did you do that?" she asked, poking at one of the coiled strips of bread.

I just rolled my eyes as I sank my teeth into the sandwich. Just as I finished my first sandwich, I realized that there was a small, high-pitched grunting noise. Looking over, I found the kid straining to lift her sandwich with her magic. She'd managed to get her aura around it, but judging from the way she was struggling, she wasn't going to even come close to lifting it off the plate.

With a sigh, I flared my own horn to life, spelling out words in front of Dinky.

 _GIVE IT A REST_

 _YOU ARE JUST_

 _GONNA BURN_

 _YOURSELF OUT_

Her horn snapped off, and she looked up at me, panting. "What do you mean… burn out?"

 _YOU ARE PUSHING_

 _TOO HARD AND_

 _YOU WILL TOTALLY_

 _RUN OUT OF MAGIC_

Gulping, she looked at me, her eyes full of fear. "F-forever?"

I cocked an eyebrow. Had nopony ever worked with her on magic before? Sighing, I shook my head.

 _NOT FOREVER_

 _BUT IT CAN TAKE_

 _HOURS TO RECOVER_

 _IF YOU PUSH TOO FAR_

After reading the words, she gave a firm nod. Picking up her sandwich in her little hooves, she took a hungry bite. "Okay, but how do I know how much is too much?"

There was no way to answer a question like that. Every Unicorn just has to find their limit. And just like that, I realized my stupidity in warning her at all.

I sent her a lopsided grin.

 _PRACTICE_

Though I expected some sarcastic retort, she just replied with a simple "Okay."

* * *

After we'd eaten and I'd tossed the dishes in the sink, I was sure that kid was going to leave. She didn't. Instead, she still sat there at the coffee table, making a spinning coin zip to and fro across the table with her horn. I wondered for a bit if she was just excited about being able to use her horn, or if she thought she had to stay because of what Derpy said. Truth be told, I didn't even know what the deal was. Paying attention to what other ponies say isn't exactly my strong suit.

Flopping back down on the couch, I watched Dinky manipulate the coin in her aura. She was pretty good. So good, in fact, that playing follow the leader wouldn't be a challenge for her at all anymore. It would take something new to push her.

I looked around as a few fleeting ideas bounced around in my head. That's when I saw it: a box of dominoes. My magic reached out, grabbing it and ushering the dozens of black rectangles to the table. One-by-one, I set them in place. Placing them next to each other and stacking them in three dimensions, I made a tiny city of precariously standing structures all in just a minute or two.

"Wow!" Dinky exclaimed, as she paced back and forth and leaned in and out to take it all in. "That was amazing!"

A flick of my magic, and I had a bit abuzz. To her credit, Dinky didn't miss a beat. She grabbed her own bit and started it spinning, ready and raring to go. Without hesitating, I sent my bit through the city of dominoes, making sharp, sudden turns and coming perilously close to clipping some of the delicate columns—columns that would fold and collapse at the slightest tap.

And Dinky's coin… Dinky's coin followed right behind. She barely missed a beat, even as I made sudden and unpredictable moves. She was good enough to impress me. After all, she'd barely been able to spin the coin at all less than an hour ago.

So I decided to the throw a new twist in. Just to keep things interesting. After completing a serpentine through a row of dominoes, I doubled my coin back and straight for Dinky's. Just as the coins were about to crash, Dinky's suddenly zipped off to the side. She dodged.

Oh, it was on. I dogged her coin as she fled through the narrow avenues, but she managed to keep one step ahead of me. That's when I decided to stop playing it easy. I maneuvered my coin into one of the domino buildings, the spinning bit just barely fitting between the rows of dominoes. The shortcut worked, and I cut Dinky off. My bit hit hers and sent it crashing into a building, causing it to crumble with the sound of a dozen _clacks_.

She glared up at me, far from happy that I crushed her bit. But she didn't give up. A golden aura fished her bit from the rubble, lifting it into the air before setting again on the narrow passages between the domino buildings. And, just like that, it started to spin with an angry buzz.

Using my magic to rebuild the domino condo was a simple task. Then, I turned my sights on Dinky's fleeing bit. I couldn't help but smirk as I gave chase.

* * *

We played our game of cat and mouse for awhile, and Dinky even started taking shots at my bit. The little brat even managed to tag my coin a few times. She didn't actually take my bit down until the door burst open. Had I a voice, I'd have shouted a greeting. Instead, I just stood up and gave her a smile.

Dinky didn't share my lack of voice. "Mom! You're home!" she exclaimed. She rushed to Derpy's side and greeted her with a hug.

Derpy ruffled her daughter's mane, smiling all the while. "Did you get along with Vinyl while I was gone?"

"Yeah," Dinky replied instantly. "We were just playing spinny bits!" She raised a hoof, pointing back at the table still covered in dominoes. "I won!"

I would've protested, but my train of thought derailed when Derpy stepped over and reached a hoof around my neck. "Thanks," she softly spoke in my ear. "I'm really glad you two got along."

A bit dazed, I nodded. Finally pulling myself together, I swept everything off to the edge of the table with my aura.

 _DID YOUR STUDY_

 _SESSION WITH THE_

 _PRINCESS GO WELL?_

Derpy read the words, her eyes completely coherent as they swept along. Then, she blinked and her eyes went back to being crazy. She smiled. "Mmm-hmm." Nodding, she lifted a wing to produce the bartending book before setting it down on the coffee table. "She really helped me out, though I don't know if I'm quite ready to actually, you know, do that."

I chuckled silently.

 _YOU WILL DO FINE_

 _HOW DID YOU SCORE_

 _A STUDY SESSION WITH_

 _A PRINCESS ANYWAY?_

"Hmmm?" she mumbled after reading the words. "She insisted that I let her tutor me." I'm sure my confusion must've been written all over my face because she elaborated. "I ran into her after we left the bar. She saw the book and got really excited. I didn't really get it, but I guess she never saw it before and wanted to read it. But I needed it to study, so she said she'd teach me everything if I just lent it to her. So everything worked out."

"Did you mention me to the Princess?" Dinky asked.

"Only a whole lot," Derpy replied, smiling down at Dinky.

 _HEY IVE BEEN_

 _THINKING OF HOW_

 _TO HELP YOU OUT_

 _AND I GOT AN IDEA_

It took a second for Derpy to take her eyes off her daughter long enough to realize I was using my spell. But after she got it, she looked back to me. "An idea?"

 _I GOTTA RUN IT BY_

 _RICH BUT I THINK_

 _IT WILL HELP YOU_

 _ARE YOU FREE_

 _TOMORROW?_


	8. The Bar - Part One

I found myself inside the club once again. And again, it was eerily quiet. At least the lighting was decent. Vinyl took me here and instructed me to familiarize myself with the bar and that she'd help me practice making mixed drinks. But after reviewing the book and taking in the huge wall of colorful liquors, I found that Vinyl had wandered over to her DJ booth. She played with the equipment there, though with her headphones on, I couldn't hear a thing.

The whole situation left me feeling a bit jaded. Here I thought she was going to work with me on this, and it turns out she just wanted to give me the opportunity to work on the drinks myself while she did her music thing. Part of me felt like I should still be grateful. I'd get more experience learning here than studying the book at home. But that other part still felt… I couldn't even put it into words. It was almost like loneliness. Even though Vinyl was right there, I somehow felt lonely over by myself, surrounded by liquor and empty glasses.

Lamenting my lot wouldn't get me anywhere. I should have just gone over and told Vinyl how I felt, but that might seem ungrateful. That only left me with the obvious option of working on practicing making drinks. I looked again to the shelves loaded with liquor. I could practice making actual drinks, but wouldn't that be a huge waste?

"Hey! We're here!"

The shout accompanied a deafening crash as the doors burst open. I spun around… or at least tried to. I turned too quick and lost balance. Thankfully I didn't break any of the expensive bottles on the shelf, though I did conk my head pretty good on the bar.

A bit dazed, I pulled my head above the bar to see a group of mares walking in, led by Ponyville's premier party pony: Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie Pie?" I asked, rubbing my head.

"Hiya, Derpy!" Pinkie instantly replied, waving at me.

I waved back, and I recognized another familiar face, and another. "What are all of you doing here?" I blathered out before I gave my mind enough time to think.

Pinkie pointed over at Vinyl. "Vinyl bumped into me yesterday and said that you needed help learning to mix drinks, so she offered to let me and a few friends come help 'taste-test' for you," she explained, the friendly smile never leaving her face.

I blinked a couple of times, then I looked over at Vinyl. She gave a me a reassuring nod. "You'll really help?" I asked as I turned back to the gathering of mares.

"Of course," Princess Twilight replied as she stepped up to the bar with the other six mares. "I'm excited to see how much you remember from our little study session yesterday."

"Yeah, besides, who's gonna pass up free drinks?" Rainbow Dash said as she took a seat next to a Pegasus I didn't know and Applejack from Sweet Apple Acres on the end.

"I never miss a free drink." I turned to the new voice to find an Earth Pony sitting between Twilight and a familiar Unicorn whose name eluded me.

Princess Twilight scratched her head. "I'm still a little lost on that. How exactly did you hear about this? Pinkie mentioned it to us in the castle."

"I _never_ miss a free drink," the mare repeated.

"Um, I guess I should be thanking you for coming to help me." Pressing a hoof to my chest, I introduced myself. "I'm Derpy. I know a lot of you, but some of you…" I trailed off, looking between some of the less familiar faces.

"I'm Applejack." Applejack tipped her hat at me. "Mighty kind of yah to let us come here and drink for free."

I idly pawed at the floor. "Well, actually I had no idea about any of this." Raising a hoof, I pointed at Vinyl. "This was all Vinyl's idea."

Vinyl rose her head at the sudden burst of attention and waved back at us.

I heard a knock, and turned my attention back to Applejack. She grinned at me. "Let's see what you can do. I'll have a Rough Rider."

All at once, my mind went blank. I couldn't remember even a single ingredient, let alone how to mix it. After what must've been several seconds, it finally occurred to me that I needed to do something. "J-just a minute," I muttered, going over to the book. I flipped through it to find the drink.

Thankfully, it only had two liquors to mix with cider. Muttering them under my breath to keep the names fresh in my mind, I turned to the staggering shelf of drinks. I really should've figured out how these were organized before now. It took a lot longer than it should have, but I found both of them on one of the lower shelves. I grabbed them up in my forelegs and turned to head back to the bar.

I didn't make it.

My hooves tripped over themselves, the liquors went flying in the air, and I went crashing to the ground. Instinctively, I covered my head with my hooves. The falling bottles never crashed down on me, though. Peeking up, I found them floating in a purple aura. A glance over revealed Princess Twilight, her forehooves on the bar as she leaned over, holding the bottles with her magic.

"Maybe you should try grabbing only one bottle at a time," Princess Twilight said as she floated the bottles safely to the bar.

Rubbing my head, I laughed. "Yeah, that might be a better idea."

As I poured the first liquor into a glass, I smiled at Rainbow Dash. "What would you like, Rainbow Dash?"

"Cider!" she eagerly replied.

I heard a groan and turned back to see that white Unicorn facehoofing. "Dashie, we already talked about this. You need to order a cocktail so that Derpy here can practice her trade.

"Dashie?" I repeated, giggling. "That's really cute."

Rainbow Dash pressed her forehooves to her face as she groaned. Her hooves slid down her face pulling down her eyelids. "I already told you that I don't like them."

"Just pick something," the yellow Pegasus next to Rainbow Dash said as she nudged her. "I'm sure it'll be just fine."

Throwing her hooves in the air, Rainbow shouted, "Fine!" Leaning over the bar, she muttered something, but I couldn't really make it out.

After I finished pouring the second ingredient of Applejack's drink, I grabbed the tap for cider. "What did you say, Rainbow Dash? I didn't hear you." A little squeeze, and the frothy cider filled the glass to full. Making sure that it kind of looked like the picture in the book, I hoofed it over to Applejack.

"I said I'll have a fahmeh…" she said, her voice trailing off at the end.

"A what?" I asked, my ears perking to try to hear her.

"I said a Fairy Dewdrop, okay?" Rainbow Dash practically shouted.

The sound of a few snickers in my ear barely registered. That was an easy drink! I even knew how to make it without the book. "Coming right up!" I said.

I grabbed the bottle from the shelf, making sure to hold it with both hooves as I returned to the bar. Adding a bit of the alcohol to the glass, I chased it with a generous helping of fruit juices. The fact that I actually knew that one filled me with confidence.

I hoofed the drink to Rainbow Dash before turning to the Pegasus next to her. "Um, I don't think we've really met before."

She gave me what had to be one of the warmest smiles I'd ever seen. "My name is Fluttershy," she spoke quietly, pressing a hoof to her chest. "I think we've bumped into each other a few times."

I tilted my head, giving it a scratch. "We have?"

"Um, maybe you remember the time I helped you out of my chicken coop?"

"Oh yeah!" I smiled back at her. "Thanks again, I thought I would be stuck in there forever."

Fluttershy nodded. "Could you make me a Blushing Pony?"

Applejack leaned forward, looking over at Fluttershy. "That shouldn't be too hard. I'm pretty sure I know a limerick or two you ain't heard yet."

Sure enough, a red band swept across Fluttershy's cheeks. "Th-that's not what I meant!"

Applejack just chuckled as she leaned back while I turned to the big book. A few pages, and I found the recipe for a Blushing Pony. This time, I found it easier to locate the bottles I needed. Though pouring it all together right was still pretty hard.

As I mixed the drink, Twilight spoke up, "Oooh, that looks delicious. I think I'll have one, too."

"No!" A pink blur accompanied the sudden shout. Pinkie pressed her face right up against Twilight's. "You have to pick something different so Derpy can practice."

Twilight pushed Pinkie back with a hoof. "Oh-kay, I guess that makes sense." She sent me a warm smile. "I suppose I'll have a Morning Star, then."

"Sugar Rush!" Pinkie shouted the second Twilight finished speaking.

Both orders had to be looked up in the book. I guess it was a good thing, practicing with all these complex orders before I actually started working. Still, it was really hard to keep up.

As I started mixing the drinks, the Earth Pony knocked on the bar. "I'll have a Bloody Mare."

"That's the really hard one, isn't it?" I blurted out without thinking.

"It can be," she said, pointing a hoof at me. "But it's simple if you use the premixed stuff." Her hoof moved to gesture at a huge jar filled with a red liquid. "Just mix it with vodka."

"S-sure," I muttered. "Um, I don't think we've met, miss…"

"Berry Punch," she said with a cocky grin. "And let me tell you, if you can impress me, then you'll make an outstanding booze slinger."

"If you say so," I replied, only having heard a few of her words. All of my attention was focused on the drinks and getting them not mixed up. Well, they needed to be mixed up, but they need to be made… not wrong.

Sure enough, just as I finished up the Bloody Mare, I heard the words I'd been dreading. "Hey, this isn't a Sugar Rush!" I halfheartedly hoofed the drink to Berry Punch as I turned to see Pinkie Pie licking her lips. She smacked her lips before smiling, her eyes closing as her tongue traced along her lips. "Mmmh, still pretty good though!"

"I'm sorry," I said. "Did you want me to try again?"

"Heh, this is why I'm here," Berry Punch said as she reached over and swiped Pinkie's drink. She swirled it beneath her snout. Looking me right in the eye, she gave me a wink. "I can tell you exactly where you went wrong." She brought the glass to her lips, taking a long sip. Her tongue ran over her lips as she pulled the drink away. "That's—!" Without another word, she brought the glass back to her lips, this time taking an entire gulp. And another. And another.

"Hey! That's mine!" PInkie swiped the drink away from Berry Punch. Before Berry could so much as protest, Pinkie downed all that remained. With a satisfied smile, she gave an enthusiastic exhale before drawing a foreleg across her dripping lips.

Berry Punch stared at Pinkie, slackjawed. "Why? Why did you drink it all?"

"Well, it was _mine_ ," Pinkie replied.

"But, I-I never tasted a drink like that. That _doesn't_ happen! I've tasted every palatable mixture of alcohol ever concocted."

Twilight interjected, holding her drink toward me. "Well, for what it's worth, my drink is right. And it tastes pretty good, too."

"Forget that!" Berry Punch said, leaning over the bar toward me. "How did you make that?" She motioned at the collection of bottles on the bar. "Which ones did you get mixed up?"

"I, um…" I looked at all the bottles, then back to the book for the recipe. "I-I'm not sure."

"I'm sure you'll get the next one right," the Unicorn at the end said as she leaned over. "This _is_ about practice, is it not?"

I mulled it over a second before smiling and giving a nod. "Y-yeah. Sure. I don't think I caught your name."

"It's Rarity, darling. And I'll have a Manehattan, dry," she said to me.

"Ugh," Berry Punch muttered as she sipped at her drink. "You're not gonna be able to make that drink again, are you?"

"Oh, right!" I turned back to Pinkie. "I'll get you another Sugar Rush just as soon as I finish Rarity's drink, okay?" Hearing a thud, I glanced over to see Berry Punch's face planted firmly in the bar. A flitting glance at her drink told me it was still almost full. "Did I… do something wrong?"

With a groan, Berry Punch lifted herself up, taking the Bloody Mare in hoof. "No, I'm just mourning serendipity's death."

I gasped, nearly knocking over a few bottles. "Somepony died?"

Her face hit the bar again.

Rarity leaned over. "Don't you pay her any mind, Derpy. She's just being melodramatic."

I looked between Berry and Rarity. "So… everypony's okay?"

"Yes. Just,"—Rarity pinched her nose as she sighed—"get my drink ready."

A small whine left my throat as I turned back to the wall of colorful bottles. All I did was make one, silly mistake and suddenly everypony got upset with me. I should have been used to it by now; it has happened often enough. Still, I always felt terrible knowing that I somehow made somepony's day worse.

As I reached up to grab a bottle for Rarity's drink, Berry Punch's voice stopped me. "Derpy, that's the wrong one."

I turned back to see Berry nursing her drink. "I'm… sorry?"

Only after finishing every last drop and slamming the drink to the counter did she reply, "Rarity asked for a dry Manehattan. Use that one."

Following Berry's hoof, I grabbed a different bottle. "This one?" I didn't get a reply, but when I checked the book, she was right. I'd already forgotten how many small changes a pony can make to so many drinks.

Just as I started to mix Rarity's drink, her voice pricked my ear. "So, how is it that you know Vinyl?"

Just the mention of Vinyl's name distracted me so much that I nearly spilled the drink. "I, uh, w-we just met a few days ago. Here, actually." I hoofed the drink over to Rarity, a small smile on my face. "I got stood up, so she offered to be my date instead."

Rarity had just raised her glass to her lips when I said that, and she nearly choked. Raising a hoof to her mouth, she dropped the glass on the counter as she composed herself. "Don't tell me that you're the new mare that has Vinyl so enamored."

I barely heard Applejack shout her next order at me. Instead, all of my attention fixated on Rarity. "I don't think Vinyl's mad at me. She's not mad at me, is she?"

Clearing her throat, Twilight leaned in. "What I think Rarity meant to ask was if you and Vinyl were together. Romantically.".

My face heated up and I nearly dropped the bottle I was using to make Applejack's next drink. "O-oh! Um, yes. Has word about that really gotten out already?"

Sending a sideways glance toward Rarity, Twilight replied, "I don't think it's going to stay a secret much longer."

A whine escaped my lips, but before I could lament the possibility of Dinky hearing about Vinyl and me from somepony, Rarity slammed her hooves on the counter. "Derpy, you simply cannot get involved with a mare like Vinyl," she hissed, casting a glance or two in Vinyl's direction. "She is—she has a _reputation_ , you know."

I frowned. Although I didn't know this Rarity very well, it still seemed judgmental on her part to stereotype Vinyl like that. "Vinyl already told me about the whole drinking thing. We're fine with it," I said in my best "shame on you" voice.

Sighing, Rarity leaned back. "That's _not_ what I'm talking about."

After walking over to give AJ her second drink, I trotted back over to Rarity, still rather cross with her. "What, then?"

"Listen, darling, I know that, while Vinyl is a very nice pony, she is… she's just so very impulsive." She pointed at me with her drink in hoof. "Let me ask you this: what are you looking for in a relationship? Stability? A lifelong partner? Somepony who always be there for you?"

Those questions were too easy to be anything but leading, but still, the answer easily fell from my lips. "Well, yeah. Who doesn't?"

"Vinyl Scratch," Rarity replied. She took a long sip and set her glass down before continuing, "Vinyl doesn't do relationships. She does flings, trysts, and on-again-off-again hookups. You need to understand that Vinyl is just that kind of pony, Derpy, or you'll get your heart broken."

My eyes flitted to Vinyl over in her DJ booth as doubt clawed at my heart. I didn't know anything about Vinyl's past relationships. It never came up. Should it have? Shaking the toxic thoughts from my head, I turned back to Rarity. "S-so what if she's had a fling or two in the past? Vinyl's been nothing but wonderful to me."

Rarity breathed a deep breath in before letting it out slowly through her nose. "Derpy, you are a very sweet, very trusting pony—more so than a mare in your position should be. I'm not saying Vinyl would do something on purpose to hurt you, but thinking about the ramifications of her actions is simply something Vinyl has never done."

My cheeks puffed out, barely able to contain my frustration. "I trust her."

Rarity's voice was unforgiving and cold. "You shouldn't."


	9. The Bar - Part Two

After serving everypony a few drinks, and only getting a couple wrong, most of the ponies found their way to the dance floor. Of course, they did still keep coming back to the bar to grab a new drink. Princess Twilight left for the dance floor the instant Vinyl started blaring her music, and Pinkie wasn't far behind. Then, after a bit of coaxing, Dash dragged Fluttershy away. Even Rarity trotted off, though she spent her time at the DJ booth talking with Vinyl.

I didn't like it.

I hardly heard a thing Berry Punch and Applejack were talking about, and not just because of the deafening music. Watching intently, I could only imagine what Rarity was telling Vinyl. Was she trying to cajole her into dumping me? Rarity seemed pretty intent on breaking us up just a bit ago.

A prodding hoof tore my attention from that conniving mare and back toward Berry Punch. Giving me a lopsided grin, Berry held up her empty glass and gave it a shake. I leaned in, and just as I did, the music died down. The music changed to a more subtle, slow beat at a lower volume.

"Bartender's choice," Berry barked, her lips sloppily pulled into a lopsided smile. Doing my best to hide a sigh, I turned to the bartending book and turned it to a random page. Berry had explained to me earlier that a bartender might be asked to select a drink for the customer, and even prattled off a short list of "safe" drinks that few ponies would balk at. Still, I didn't think Berry wanted anything off of that list, and I was also confident that she wouldn't turn down anything I put in front of her, either.

Referring back to the big book, I just fixed whatever I found on the pages. My attention was still held captive by Rarity, her jaw moving and her hoof gestures a mockery of my insecurity. If only I could hear what she was saying. And I knew Vinyl was communicating back with her, too. My eyes flitted there every time that spark of blue magic appeared.

The glass barely touched the bar before Berry swiped it and brought it to her lips. "All right, Blondie," she said after a long swig, "time for another lesson." With a big grin, she held up her drink. "How many have I had?"

"I… don't know?" I replied, having barely heard her in the first place.

"I've had, uh…" Berry scratched her head as she stared at the glass. "Clearly not enough." Tipping the glass up, she downed all that remained before slamming it back down on the bar. "The point is, it's just as important to know when to _not_ serve ponies. Knowing when to cut somepony off can make the difference between a pony waking up at home or waking up in a gutter."

After not-so-subtly sliding the glass toward me, she turned and pointed at Applejack. "Now, some ponies know when to stop. Take Applejack for instance. That's only her third drink, and she's been nursing it for some time now."

"A mite too long, I'd say," Applejack said, tossing back nearly half a glass in a single swallow. She got up, tipping her hat. "I'm mighty grateful to yah, but there's a whole heap of chores to get done and they ain't gonna do themselves."

"A strong sense of responsibility. That's a bartender's best friend," Berry said as Applejack stopped by to say goodbye to her friends. Again Berry Punch toyed with the empty glass, just begging me to refill it.

I turned back to the book and flipped to another random page before getting to work on a new drink. "Okay, so when do I cut you off?" I asked as I refilled the glass.

Chuckling, Berry stole the glass the instant it was full. A huge grin filled her face as she held up the glass. "I'm the exception to the rule, don't you know? Even if I pass out, face-down on the bar, just stick another drink in my hoof."

I couldn't judge if she was just joking or completely serious. Though, I couldn't help but wonder where the line was for her. She'd already had just about as many as everypony else combined. That couldn't possibly be healthy.

Taking a sip, Berry turned back to point at the ponies on the dance floor. "Basically, you'll see three types of drinkers. Like Applejack, you're not going to have to worry about Pinkie. She's all about everypony having a good time, and nothing ruins that faster than just one drink too many. In fact, so long as she's in the bar, she'll keep you from over serving just about everypony."

Then, there's the typical pony, like Twilight or Fluttershy. They'll lose their better judgment slowly over the evening, stopping by the bar a little more often as time goes by. But it's pretty easy to gauge when they've started to have too much, and they shouldn't fuss too much if you turn them away gently."

I nodded, trying to remember all the things Berry was telling me. In all the studying with Twilight and all the words in the book, it was never mentioned at all that I needed to make sure ponies didn't have too much to drink. But it made sense that I should.

"Then you have troublemakers," Berry continued, "like Rainbow Dash and Rarity. Dash hates the taste of alcohol, and so she doesn't realize just how much she's had with all her fruity drinks. Worse, she'll hate it if you tell her she's had too much. A pony like her only rises to challenges, so when you tell her 'no' she just tries to prove you wrong. It's best to try to trick a pony like her into thinking that going home and sobering up is _their_ idea."

After Berry pointed to Rarity, still standing by the DJ booth, I nearly forgot everything she'd been teaching me. Even if all she was doing was sipping her drink there in front of Vinyl, it still made me mad. I didn't understand why seeing her made me feel that way, but I felt it nonetheless.

"Now, Rarity is pretty good at maintaining all those airs she puts on. She'll hold up that facade right up until she's had one too many, then it all comes crashing down," Berry explained. "Sure, she likes to pretend she's a Canterlot socialite; hay, she could pass for one any day of the week. But in the end, she's still just a small town filly. And when she gets drunk, she can get pretty mean."

"She can be pretty mean sober," I blathered out before I could think to stop myself.

Berry took my anger in stride, just chuckling a bit as she turned back to face me. "She means well, you know. She hasn't had _that_ much to drink."

"I don't see how she means well," I replied, sending another glance toward the DJ booth. "Rarity pretty much told me that I shouldn't be with Vinyl."

Berry swirled her glass, watching the green liquid inside churn. "In her own way, Rarity is just trying to spare your feelings. It's pretty clear that she doesn't trust Vinyl to change her ways at the drop of a hat. But, hay, I don't think anypony at all could even imagine her going months without a nice beverage or twelve." Berry lifted her glass, taking a swig. She smacked her lips before frowning. "This one's a little off, Derpy. You can do better."

"S-sorry," I apologized, "I guess I wasn't paying enough attention."

Pulling a bowl of snack nuts near herself, she plopped a hoofful in her mouth. "Don't let her get to you," she said as she crunched away. "Rarity doesn't think your skin is as thick as it is."

Lifting a hoof to my head, I gave it a scratch. "What do you mean by that?"

After giving her glass a swirl, Berry brought it to her lips for a long sip. "Rarity," she said, dragging a hoof across her muzzle, "she thinks your heart will shatter if things between you two go south."

I couldn't stop myself from frowning. "But why does she seem so sure things won't work between us?"

"I hate to tell you this," Berry said as she pointed at me with her half-empty glass, "but nopony in Ponyville knows Vinyl better than Rarity. Those two've been friends since before they got their cutie marks. How they're still friends after all that's happened, I'll never know." Sighing, Berry looked over toward the DJ booth where Twilight had joined Rarity and Vinyl. "Rarity doesn't have faith in Vinyl to change her ways"—turning back to me, Berry gave a wink—"but maybe Vinyl just needed somepony worth changing for."

I couldn't fight the heat rising from my chest through my face. "W-well, I don't know about all that."

Berry pulled her glass closer to her as Twilight and the rest walked up to the bar, interrupting our conversation. I pulled up a couple of clean glasses, but instead of ordering, Twilight held up a hoof and shook her head. "Thank you so much for treating us, but we've decided that it might be best if we call it quits before we get too carried away." A sweep of purple magic swept across the bar. In one, smooth motion, all the drinks lifted up and floated to their rightful places on the shelf. "I'm also glad to see you've made a lot of progress. You'll make a great bartender."

Most of the rest muttered their own thanks as they muddled their way toward the door. All except Rarity, who hung back near the bar. She just waited for me to catch those cold, blue eyes with a lingering glance. "You really did perform quite admirably, for your first foray into such a situation," she said, her eyes flitting over to Vinyl at the end of her statement. "You should take care not to throw yourself into it completely. It simply wouldn't do for such a kind mare to find herself in over her head."

Even I caught her double-words. I struggled to reply, and when one didn't come right away, Rarity turned and left. She never even said goodbye. I bit my tongue until after the door closed behind the irksome Unicorn. "Oooh!" I growled, stamping my hooves. "Who does she think she is!"

Berry just chuckled. "Tell you what, Blondie: make me another drink, and I'll give you just a bit more advice."

A glance back at the perfectly-aligned bottles, and I just grabbed the tap for cider. Not even bothering to grab a fresh mug, I filled Berry's empty glass. A flick of my hoof, and I closed the enormous bartending book with a resounding _thud._

"Last one, eh?" She took a long sip before licking the foam from her lips. "That's fine. I'm sure they're forming search parties as we speak over at my usual haunt." Setting the glass down, she gave me a smug grin. "Anyway, back to the matter at hoof…"

"You said you had more advice for me?"

"Right, right," Berry said, nodding. "You know, I couldn't help but notice how much you're letting Rarity get under your skin. You didn't even know her name before tonight."

I rubbed my foreleg with a hoof. "Well, she keeps saying how I shouldn't trust Vinyl."

"And why would anypony care what some stranger says?" Berry asked in turn. I opened my mouth to reply, but Berry cut me off, "Unless… unless what they're saying is echoing your own insecurities. I think the real issue is: do you trust Vinyl? I think we both know the answer to that question." Without another word, Berry raised her glass and proceeded to down her drink.

"I-I do trust Vinyl," I replied.

Berry just chuckled as she stood up. "Who are you trying to convince? Me, or yourself?" Stumbling just a bit, she headed toward the door. Without looking back, she waved a hoof. "Oh, and if you ever need a sympathetic ear, just stop by the pub and buy me a drink."

Her accusation haunted me. I _did_ trust Vinyl, didn't I? Never once had she ever given me a reason to doubt her. Not even a hint.

But still, this heavy dread weighs on my heart. Why do I feel insecure about my burgeoning relationship with Vinyl? My mind began to race with doubt. Are they right? Should I be wary? Will she abandon me at the first chance of being with somepony better?

Just as it began to feel like my doubts would crush me, I felt a warm, gentle hoof on my cheek. I turned to find Vinyl staring at me with those big, cerise eyes. The blue glow of her horn was only able to tear my eyes away after my burning lungs reminded me to breathe. Panting a bit, I blurted out an apology as my gaze found its way to the bar and the swirling letters there.

ARE YOU OKAY?

YOU LOOKED

REALLY SAD

JUST NOW

It didn't take much effort to force a smile. "I-I'm fine," I lied. "It's nothing."

Vinyl frowned as she raised an eyebrow inquisitively. Did she know I was lying? Why did I even lie in the first place?

"It's okay, really." I forced myself not to fidget. "Um, I really appreciate you setting this up for me to practice. I learned a lot."

Vinyl's frown lessened and her horn began to glow.

DONT SWEAT IT

IM SURE YOULL

DO JUST FINE

My fake smile melted into a real one. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt at the relief of Vinyl not discovering my lie. My doubt.

That's when it dawned on me. The reason why I lied. It was so simple, yet still devastating.

I didn't trust her.


End file.
